The Big 12 has a new bowl agreement heading into the 2012 season, well, at least in name only.
The bowl formerly known as the Insight Bowl will have a new name with the announcement that Buffalo Wild Wings has taken over sponsorship from Insight who decided in January not to renew their contract with the game that they had sponsored since 1997.
The Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl will still be held in Tempe, Arizona and will be played this year on December 29th matching the Big 12's third selection with the third or fourth selection from the Big Ten as it has for the past six seasons.
Last season Oklahoma took out Iowa in the Insight Bowl by a score of 31-14 in game remembered not for the action on the field but rather when the sky cam came crashing to the turf nearly decapitating Iowa wide receiver, Marvin McNutt.
In the past six seasons that the Big 12 has played in the game, six different teams from the conference have represented the league. In addition to Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa State, Kansas, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech have also made an appearance in the bowl game.
The Big 12 sports a 5-1 record over those six games with the only loss coming in 2010 when Missouri fell to Iowa, 27-24, after Iowa returned a Mizzou interception 72 yards with 5 minutes remaining in the game.
We're obviously a long ways from knowing who will play in the first game with Buffalo Wild Wings as the sponsor, but for the Big Ten it could be slim pickings with both Ohio State and now Penn State not eligible for post season play this season.
The Big Ten's third or fourth placed team has traditionally been selected but depending on how things play out this season, it's possible the fifth or sixth placed team will need to move up in the pecking order to fill the void.
The Big 12's other six bowl agreements (Fiesta, Cotton, Alamo, Pinstripe, Car Care, and Holiday Bowl) remain unchanged and in place for the 2012 season.
