It looks like the Big East is closing in on a deal to play in the Liberty Bowl on New Years Eve starting next year. The Liberty Bowl is played in Memphis, Tennessee. This becomes more likely as the ACC appears close to nailing down the Music City Bowl deal. The foe for the Liberty Bowl would be either a SEC or Mountain West opponent. The Liberty Bowl, not surprisingly favors an SEC team.

A sticking point is that the Liberty Bowl wants the Big East’s #3 team. The Meineke Car Care Bowl (previously the Continental Tire) in Charlotte, North Carolina wants to move up from BE #4 to BE #3 in its deal. Presently the Liberty Bowl has the higher payout — $1.5 million per team vs. $1.27 — but the Charlotte group says it is willing to go higher. It also says that it will open negotiations with other conferences if it doesn’t get the BE #3.

Of course, if the BE places a team in the Liberty Bowl, it means that once again, C-USA gets squeezed by the BE. C-USA used to send its top team to the Liberty Bowl. Food chains are brutal.

With all of the bowls out there, and yet another expected in Toronto, it was never really in doubt that the BE would find enough bowls. The issues really were about payouts and prestige.