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International Bowl
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The International Bowl made its debut in 2007. It has the distinction of being the only college football bowl game currently being played outside the United States. The inaugural game matched the Cincinnati Bearcats of the Big East Conference against the Western Michigan Broncos of the Mid-American Conference. The game was played a Rogers Centre, the home field of the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.

The city of Toronto had tried to establish a bowl game in 2004 to boost tourism but was unsuccessful. After launching a second bid, the NCAA agreed to sanction a bowl game. The 2007 International Bowl was the first bowl game played outside the United States since the Bacardi Bowl in Cuba in 1937.

If the inaugural International Bowl is a predictor of future contests, then the future is bright. The 2007 game proved to be a very entertaining and competitive contest. Cincinnati jumped out to a 21-0 lead but the kids from Western Michigan battled back and tied the game. With the game knotted at 24 in the fourth quarter, Cincinnati kicker Kevin Lovell booted a 33-yard field goal to give the Bearcats the lead for good. A last minute 51-yard field goal attempt by Western Michigan kicker Nate Meyer failed to sail through the uprights. The game’s MVP went to Cincinnati wide receiver Domanick Goodman, who finished the contest with seven catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns.

The 2007 International Bowl was televised on ESPN2 and there were 27,000 college football fans in attendance. With both the Big East and MAC tied-in for regular appearances, the game should provide the same excitement in the future.