Lions to host new bowl game at Ford Field?

The Detroit Lions are putting together plans to host a new college football bowl game at Ford Field that would begin play in 2014, according to ESPN's Brett McMurphy. The game would feature a team from the new-look Big Ten against a team from the new-look ACC, according to the report.

I know what you're probably thinking. Isn't there already a bowl game at Ford Field? The answer is yes, but it's not hosted directly by the Lions. If the Lions created their own bowl game, it would take the place of the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, which has been in existence since 1997 (previously called the Motor City Bowl).

Aside from potentially adding revenues by hosting a bowl game directly, the Lions may also be interested in creating a higher profile for Ford Field's bowl game. The Big Ten and MAC (with the Sun Belt as an alternate) have had the tie-ins for the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl most recently, but the game rarely actually features a team from the Big Ten. Perhaps the new bowl game at Ford Field will garner a bit more attention with the Big Ten once again expanding, new bowl lineups starting in 2014 and the ACC being added as a tie-in.

The Lions, for what it's worth, declined to comment on this report, according to Dave Birkett. However, Birkett reports that while nothing is finalized, a game "is in the works."