By David Asbury
There's more to life than bowling, but not much.
The Old Dominion Monarchs are going bowling! For the third time in Ricky Rahne's tenure his team reached six wins and are bowl eligible after defeating ULM this past week. The team will tell you that they are not thinking ahead and all of their attention are on Troy for the big Thursday night game on ESPN. That is the correct answer and the team should remain focused on Troy. However, us fans are allowed to look ahead and have some fun. Moreover, we need to start considering our travel plans! And there are a lot of fun options for the Monarchs. So let's take a look and have some fun.
Myrtle Beach Bowl
The Athletic projected ODU to the Myrtle Beach Bowl against WKU on December 19th. The Myrtle Beach Bowl is a newer G5 bowl started in 2020, and played on Coastal Carolina's teal turf. It often features a Sun Belt team. In fact, a current Sun Belt team has appeared in every Myrtle Beach Bowl since it started. Some Monarch fans might be disappointed in this bowl because the Monarchs went there recently in 2021. In Rahne's first season at ODU, the team overcame a 1-6 start to win five straight games and go to this bowl game.
Lamareon James starts off the 2021 Myrtle Beach Bowl with some fireworks. ODU would be the first team to ever play in more than one Myrtle Beach Bowl.
However, this bowl may be great for a couple of reasons. First, Rahne and Monarchs have some unfinished business here because ODU lost the bowl to the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes 30-17. Bringing this bowl trophy home would be making up for that loss. Second, it is very easy travel for ODU fans. Unlike other bowl games, this game does not require a flight for the majority of the fanbase and the date does really interfere or crossover with Christmas travel. Finally, 2021 is recent but it is not that recent. The only current players that traveled to that bowl game are Kris Trinidad, Stephon Debose-Bourne, Skyler Grant, and Elijah Hoskin. Those players were freshman and may prefer to actually play in the bowl game than sit on the sideline. If the Myrtle Beach Bowl is a solid opponent like East Carolina, it could also result in an even better bowl environment with a lot of fans in attendance, giving the bowl a big time feel. This could be a fun and preferred bowl game.
Boca Raton Bowl
College Football News and Athlon projected ODU to play in the Boca Raton Bowl against UConn or North Texas respectively. The Boca Raton Bowl is played in FAU's stadium in Boca Raton, Florida on December 23rd. Winners of the game receive the Howard Schnellenberger championship trophy, named for the football head coach at FAU from 2001 to 2011. The Boca Raton Bowl is one of the most prestigious G5 bowls that exist. Some of the best G5 teams in the country tend to play in this bowl game. Last season, JMU defeated WKU in the Boca Raton Bowl to bring home the Schnellenberger Trophy. We do not want JMU to have a trophy that ODU does not. JMU's more recent win in this bowl also means they will prefer a different bowl. That increases the odds of ODU obtaining this bowl.
However, the Boca Raton Bowl wants top-tier G5 teams. ODU needs to keep winning if they expect to earn an appearance at the Boca Raton Bowl. Given the warm weather and prestige, this is the players' preference. In a mock poll, the ODU roster voted for this bowl in 2023 when they were instead slotted to the Famous Toastery Bowl. However, travel may be difficult for fans with the game so far from Norfolk and taking place so close to Christmas.
New Orleans Bowl
ESPN's Schlabach and Sports Illustrated both projected ODU to play in the New Orleans Bowl against WKU and Louisiana Tech respectively. The New Orleans Bowl is another prestigious G5 bowl that has a Sun Belt tie-in. It is played in the historic Caesars Superdome which is home to the New Orleans Saints as well as the Sun Belt Conference's corporate headquarters. A Sun Belt team has played in every New Orleans Bowl since it started in 2001.
Being one of the oldest G5 bowls, played in one of the better locations, it is one of the most prestigious bowls Old Dominion can get. However, logistics matter too and the New Orleans Bowl suffers from the same logistical problems as the Boca Raton Bowl. It requires a flight during Christmas with the game being played on December 23rd. I'd also imagine the bowl committee for the New Orleans Bowl would prefer a team from the SBC West, given their proximity in an attempt to get more heads in beds in New Orleans.
Cure Bowl
ESPN's Schlabach projected ODU to play in the StaffDNA Cure Bowl against Buffalo on December 17, 2025. It is currently held at Camping World Stadium, in Orlando, Florida. The Cure Bowl is so named to promote awareness and research of breast cancer, with proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The Cure Bowl usually features teams from the American Athletic Conference and the Sun Belt Conference. The Cure Bowl started in 2015 and a Sun Belt team has played in nine of the ten Cure Bowls.
The Cure Bowl is far from Norfolk like New Orleans and Boca, but there are direct flights from Norfolk to Orlando and the date of the game gives more buffer between the game and Christmas (making travel a little easier). It is also so very close to Disney World and Universal Studios, making it a very fun destination for families.
Other Potential Bowls
Other projections have included the Frisco Bowl in Texas, the Salute to Veterans Bowl in Alabama, the 68 Ventures Bowl also in Alabama, the Hawai'i Bowl in....I think you get the picture. There are a lot more options than those I listed. But there is one bowl I did not list that Old Dominion fans would recognize: The Bahamas Bowl.
The Famous Toastery Bowl in Charlotte, NC was a one-time replacement for the Bahamas Bowl. Photo courtesy of David Asbury.
ODU played in two Bahamas Bowls, winning it in the Bahamas 2016 and losing its temporary replacement in Charlotte in 2023. However, reports over the summer said the Bahamas Bowl is having some financial problems. Currently, there are no plans to have a Bahamas Bowl this year. It is more than likely that last season's Bahamas Bowl was the last one ever. I am sure more developments will come to light the closer bowl season gets.
But more bowl games can rise up. Maybe the Famous Toastery Bowl will become a permanent replacement. Or maybe even the Shriner's Oyster Bowl can rise up from a regular season bowl to a postseason bowl game held in Norfolk every year. Coastal Carolina and FAU have bowl games in their stadiums that they will play in on occasion, why not ODU? Whatever happens, bowl projections are still fun. Be prepared to make your travel plans on December 7, 2025 when they announce which bowl game Old Dominion will play!
Share:
ODU vs. ULM: Recap