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Ford Field to host bowl starting in '14

The Big Ten and the Detroit Lions have announced a six-year agreement to play a bowl game at Ford Field, with the Atlantic Coast Conference expected to provide the opponent.

The new bowl will start in 2014 and it has not been named or sponsored.

In May, ESPN reported the Lions were expected to create and operate the new bowl game at Ford Field. The new bowl game would eliminate the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl after this season, sources told ESPN's Brett McMurphy.

In the new bowl, the Big Ten would play an ACC team, sources said. In the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, the Big Ten played a Mid-American team at Ford Field.

Ford Field also is the Lions' home field.

This year is the final year in a four-year deal pairing the eighth selection from the Big Ten against a MAC team. Only three times in the past 11 years has a Big Ten team played in the bowl.

The new Detroit bowl is not expected to get a selection higher than sixth from both the Big Ten and ACC, sources have told ESPN.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.