The Orlando Sports Foundation announced Wednesday that the 2019 Cure Bowl will be played at Orlando City Stadium.
Liberty and the Cure Bowl entered into a two-year bowl agreement on July 12, 2018, giving the Flames a secondary bowl agreement during the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
The 2019 Cure Bowl will be the first non-soccer sporting event to take place at Orlando City Stadium, since its opening in March 2017. Kickoff for the fifth-annual Cure Bowl will be December 21, 2019 at 2:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
During the first four years of the Cure Bowl, the bowl game was played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
“We are excited about the Orlando Sports Foundation’s partnership with Orlando City Stadium and the unique atmosphere that will be created for the Cure Bowl,” CEO of the Orlando Sports Foundation and Executive Director of the Cure Bowl Alan Gooch stated. “I can’t wait to see a college football game in Orlando City Stadium. We believe all fans will have a great experience and this will help us to continue our mission of bringing teams together to find a cure for cancer.”
Orlando City Stadium located in the heart downtown Orlando is home to the Orlando City Soccer Club of Major League Soccer (MLS) and Orlando Pride of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). The state-of-the-art venue is within walking distance of the historic Church Street Entertainment District.
“We are very excited to welcome the Cure Bowl to Orlando City Stadium as the first non-soccer sporting event to be hosted in our beautiful venue,” Orlando City SC Chief Revenue Officer Chris Gallagher said. “Through flagship events like the Cure Bowl, the Orlando Sports Foundation works tirelessly to raise funds for cancer research, and we are happy to do what we can to support such a meaningful initiative. We can’t wait to see a new kind of football on our pitch this December.”
In its first four years, the Cure Bowl has been used as a platform to raise $3.6 million for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). The Orlando community has benefited from the funds generated at the game with local BCRF researcher Dr. Annette Khaled at the UCF College of Medicine receiving over $1.1 million of the funds distributed.
“The move allows us to add a game day block party which will start at Church Street and conclude with a March 2 Cure to Orlando City Stadium,” Gooch added. “These events will help drive revenue to Downtown Orlando business owners, while enhancing the experience of Cure Bowl attendees on game day.”
The March 2 Cure will be a free, pre-game event featuring music, entertainment and activities for all to enjoy. The event will culminate with an organized walk from the Church Street Entertainment District to the game at Orlando City Stadium. Each team playing in the Cure Bowl will have their band participate in the march alongside fans, cancer survivors and supporters decked out in pink gear.
The Orlando Sports Foundation will host an open house on May 8 from 5-7 p.m. at Orlando City Stadium to celebrate our new home. This community event will allow Orlando Sports Foundation members, fans and the general public to tour the facility, pose for photos and view seat options for the Cure Bowl on Saturday, December 21.
The Cure Bowl features a matchup between teams from the American Athletic Conference and Sun Belt Conference. However, in years in which either conference does not have enough deserving teams, defined as meeting the six qualifying win threshold, other FBS teams, including Liberty, may be substituted before consideration would be given to five-win teams.
For more information about the Orlando Sports Foundation or the Cure Bowl and affiliated events visit www.CureBowl.com.
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