Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Chic-Fil-A Bowl is topic of Rotarians' program

The Chic-Fil-A Bowl, formerly known as the Peach Bowl, was the topic of discussion for Rotarians on Thursday, Oct. 11, as Jack DArcy of the Chic-Fil-A Bowl selection committee in Atlanta.

DArcy is the brother-in-law to Rotarian Anita Cabe and was vacationing in Arkansas during his visit with the club.

A lot of us traditionalists had to swallow hard on that one, DArcy said of changing the bowls name last year. He said the $22.5 million given by Chic-Fil-A for the name change has helped the bowl become a better contender for major teams.

Now were in a position to compete with some of the larger bowls, he said.

The Chic-Fil-A Bowl is the oldest ACC-SEC match-up bowl in existence and is the ninth oldest bowl overall, he said. The game is held each year in Atlantas Georgia Dome and has broken the record for attendance at the dome.

Last year only the Rose and Sugar bowls had large attendances than the Chic-Fil-A Bowl, he said.

Theres something about this game that brings them out. You cant ask for a better match up than a good ACC team and a good SEC team.

DArcy said working with the Chic-Fil-A company has been rewarding.

They believe we should give back the community or they dont want to play, he said.

Being a part of the bowls selection committee is something I really enjoy, DArcy said. He was afforded the opportunity as a member of the Touchdown Club of Atlanta.

Somebody though enough of me to ask that I consider doing it, he said.

Picking the teams to play in the bowl is a long process, but in the end, he said it always seems to work out perfectly.

We never eliminate anyone until they eliminate themself.

DArcy and others on the committee visit football games all over the ACC and SEC while making their selections. He said they look at everything from how the players play to how the fans react to the teams. Besides picking a good team, he said they also want a team that is going to fill the Georgia Dome with fans.

Its never a good sign if the home stands are half-empty.

In the end, the selection of the teams comes down to a vote of the selection committee, DArcy said. If youre in the line up to win at least six games, youre in the running.