The University of Illinois recently acquired a well-established bowl after the ReliaQuest Bowl chose the Illini to compete against Mississippi State in Tampa. In the past, the bowl was known as Outback Bowl and featured a Big Ten-SEC matchup; it still opens the traditional New Year’s Day bowl viewing schedule. Look for parade floats plus college and high school bands in the Ybor City neighborhood. Stick around for a pep rally featuring the school bands and cheerleaders – all as you wait for your favorite match.
Using the phrase “New Year’s Day bowl” is bound to be misleading especially because of the existing mismatch in dates. This year’s January 1 is a Sunday and when this happens, the next weekday which is January 2 becomes the federal New Year’s Day holiday. It is expected that classic bowl programming will follow suit. Events such as the Rose Bowl and its accompanying parade will be held on January 2.
For casino gambling fans that will mark the New Year in Raymond James Stadium, the highlight will be witnessing the kickoff at the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 11 a.m. those who will not be able to make it to the physical venue can catch the action on Disney on its ESPN3 (free) or ESPN+ (subscription) streaming platform as well. The chair of ReliaQuest Bowl, Troy Atlas, has revealed that the Tampa Bay Bowl Association was excited about the matchup.
According to Atlas, both teams have quality gameplay which is expected to produce an exciting matchup that fans are guaranteed to enjoy. He and his team are looking forward to the exercise of hosting the teams together with their fans and making sure that they will enjoy the experience both from the game and the dynamic Tampa Bay area.
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Placing ReliaQuest Bowl Bets
A Tampa vacation will not be complete if players do not experience a single sports betting ban. In Illinois, online sports’ betting is allowed but only if the opponents in a game are not Illinois teams. However, fans are allowed to place bets on an in state team if a bettor visits a physical gambling premise in the state and makes use of a betting window.
The situation in Florida is quite different and the fans there can only wish that they had such privileges. The state only had a glimpse of sports betting followed by a compact between the state and the Seminole Tribe that hit a roadblock in District Court. So, for betting enthusiasts who are keen on placing bets on college football bowl games, the choices include;
- Visiting an Illinois casino to place a ReliaQuest Bowl bet
- Betting from the convenience of home for all other college football bowls
Are you headed to Florida for this game? Consider stopping over in Indiana to place a bet – or side tracking to Ohio or Michigan (both markets will open up to sports betting on January 1). Just keep in mind that the same cannot be done from Florida, Georgia or Kentucky. Another cool alternative to betting on the move is to sign up for a Tennessee sports betting app while crossing through that state.
Just for the record, Mississippi State FanDuel-3.5 launched as an ever-so-slight favorite on top of Illinois Caesars+3.5. The position of the lines could move based on opt-outs and injuries; the game is still only a month away.
What about Illinois?
This is going to be the first ever Illini’s first Florida bowl game since they smashed Virginia 63-21 in the 1999 Miami-based MicronPC.com Bowl. Illinois will be making the second appearance to the north in Tampa. The Mackovic’s 1990 team under Coach John fell to Clemson 30-0 in the 1991 game. The teams took part in the Hall of Fame Bowl that was held back then. Outback’s blooming onion and coconut shrimp sponsorship took over from April 1995 to March 2022.
Irrespective of the title, the bowl at Tampa boasts of a 36-year history in the community which begun with the 199 game. This time round, the Tampa Bay Bowl Association has paired SEC and upper-tier Big Ten schools. The Illini hold an 8-11 record in its 19-bowl history. Teams from 2020 and 2021 were predominantly absent from a bowl berth. The ReliaQuest Bowl bid is the first upper-tier bowl destination program since the 2007 team took part in the 2008 Rose Bowl.
In 2022, Illinois was on record for having one of its best seasons in recent times. The Illini, with running back Chase Brown at the helm, finished 8-4 overall to claim its first winning season since 2011 and the best record since the performance of the 2007 squad that finished 9-4. Brown came in second place in the nation having achieved 1,643 yards in 2022; he also had ten touchdowns.
For the 18 players based in Florida, the game at Tampa will be really close to home. According to coach Bret Bielema, the team has a heavy recruitment quota in Florida and this is why most of the players identify with the area. It is therefore a big deal for players’ families to come by anytime the team is competing and watch their children playing. Well, this is a big morale booster for the team and its performance over time is a testament to that.
Conclusion
Illinois has a reputation as a bowl destination and the University of Illinois is making the most out of it. The institution of higher learning is creating tour packages for people to come and enjoy the marvels of the state. For those who would like to take advantage of early-stage goodies, two events are already available for public booking;
- 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (ET) Friday, Dec. 30 — Clearwater Beach Day at Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort
- 5:30-8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31 — New Year’s Eve Parade and Band Blast at Seventh Avenue in the Ybor City district
