Overview
- The venue confirmed via social media that it will not host a college football bowl game in 2026.
- The move closes a postseason tradition that began as the Motor City Bowl in 1997 and later ran as the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Quick Lane Bowl and GameAbove Sports Bowl.
- It becomes the third non-playoff bowl to disappear in the past year, following the Bahamas Bowl’s replacement in Frisco and the LA Bowl’s closure.
- Attendance had slipped in recent years—27,857 fans in 2025—despite strong TV interest, with ESPN’s non-playoff bowls averaging 3.1 million viewers.
- No replacement game for Detroit has been announced for 2026; recent tie-ins matched MAC teams with Big Ten or previously ACC opponents, and the bowl paid out about $2 million.