BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The 2015 Birmingham Bowl’s annual Kickoff Luncheon will be held on Thursday, September 25 at 11:30 a.m. CT at the Hyatt Regency Wynfrey Hotel. Greg McElroy, SEC Network analyst and National Champion quarterback of the 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide, is the keynote speaker.
The event, which hosts Birmingham Bowl sponsors, officials and invited guests will also review the success of the 2014 bowl game between Vanderbilt and Houston and preview what’s to come for this season.
McElroy brings his years of experience on the field at the University of Alabama to the new SEC Network as a college football analyst. As starting QB, McElroy led Alabama to victory in the 2009 National Championship game. McElroy retired from the NFL earlier this year following three seasons with both the New York Jets and the Cincinnati Bengals. In his new role as an SEC Network analyst he works alongside two-‐time Super Bowl winner Booger McFarland every week from the Charlotte, NC studios.
Other speakers include Mark Meadows, Executive Director of the Birmingham Bowl; Robert Smith, Director of Public Affairs for the Birmingham Division of Bright House Networks; and Joe Dean Jr., Chairman of Community Relations for the Birmingham Bowl and Athletic Director at Birmingham Southern.
The 2015 Birmingham Bowl, owned and operated by ESPN Events, a subsidiary of ESPN, will feature teams from the SEC and the American Athletic Conference, and will be played at Historic Legion Field in Birmingham on Saturday, Jan. 3 at noon, and will be aired on ESPN or ESPN2.
Since the game’s inception in 2006, visitors in town for the Bowl and associated game-‐week activities have generated over $97 million in economic impact for the Birmingham community, according to figures provided by the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Tickets to the 2014 Birmingham Bowl are now on sale to the general public online at www.birminghambowl.com or by calling 877-464‐9529. Fans who purchase tickets during the month of September will receive a special discount, saving $15 per ticket.
With the discount, $50 reserved sideline seating will be on sale for $35 per ticket and general admission corner seating, regularly $30, will be on sale for $15 each.
Corporate packages, which include premium ticket locations, hospitality benefits and corporate exposure, are available now by contacting David Krakower, ESPN Manager of Sales, [email protected] or call (205) 733‐3776, ext. 103.
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ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In the 2025-26 academic year, the 35-event schedule includes three early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, two college volleyball events, the premiere regular season college softball and gymnastics events, as well as the Band of the Year National Championship. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
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Local Media Contact:
Heather Jeffcoat, 205-515-1972 or [email protected]
Danny Chi, [email protected]
Andrea DiCristoforo, [email protected].
