MYRTLE BEACH, SC – The Ohio Bobcats and Georgia Southern Eagles are set to meet in the fourth edition of the Myrtle Beach Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 16 at 11:00 a.m. ET, on ESPN and ESPN+. The game will be played at Brooks Stadium on the campus of Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC.
“The Myrtle Beach Bowl has become a signature event for our area and we are thrilled to host the fourth edition of the bowl as we welcome new fan bases to experience the Grand Strand,” said Rachel Quigley, executive director of Myrtle Beach Bowl.
“Visit Myrtle Beach is excited to welcome Ohio and Georgia Southern to the Grand Strand for the 2023 Myrtle Beach Bowl,” said Karen Riordan, President and CEO of Visit Myrtle Beach. “We are proud to partner with ESPN Events and Coastal Carolina University on this fourth annual bowl game. No matter who wins, we’re confident both teams and their fans attending will enjoy all that our destination has to offer, especially the holiday events, festive light displays and cheerful theatrical performances.”
“Coastal Carolina University is privileged to serve as the host of the Myrtle Beach Bowl,” said Matt Hogue, Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics and University Recreation. “This event has become a tradition for our region and is a key component to our strategic partnership with the MB Chamber of Commerce and the entire sports tourism effort. Even better this year, the Bowl Season starts here! We look forward to welcoming the passionate fan bases and showcasing our community to the nation!”
This will be the first-ever meeting between Ohio and Georgia Southern. The Bobcats have competed in the Mid-American Conference since 1946, while the Eagles have been a member of the Sun Belt Conference since moving up to the FBS level in 2014.
Ohio (9-3, 6-2 MAC) capped off the regular season with a three-game winning streak to record their second-straight season with nine wins or more. The Bobcats won four of their final five conference games to finish second in the East Division.
After a 10-win campaign in 2022, Bobcats’ head coach Tim Albin will lead Ohio to their second-straight bowl game appearance with a 30-27 win over Wyoming in the 2022 Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl. Overall, Ohio will be making their 15th bowl game appearance, posting a 6-8 record.
Georgia Southern (6-6, 3-5 SBC) enters the Myrtle Beach Bowl for their second-straight bowl game appearance. The Eagles took down Sun Belt opponents Coastal Carolina, ULM, and Georgia State before dropping their final four games to finish fifth in the East Division. Georgia Southern has won six games in back-to-back seasons.
Head coach Clay Helton will be taking the Eagles to back-to-back bowl games since being hired in 2022, including an appearance in the Camellia Bowl last season. In bowl games, Helton holds a record of 2-4 after a six-year stint as the head coach of the USC Trojans, winning the 2017 Rose Bowl over Penn State. Overall, Georgia Southern will be making their sixth bowl game appearance, holding a 3-2 record.
The Myrtle Beach Bowl is one of 17 college football bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events. All bowl games will simulcast on ESPN+.
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In 2023, the 33-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, nine college basketball events, a college softball event and the inaugural Band of the Year National Championship, in addition to a new college gymnastics event coming in 2024. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, while reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans. Follow ESPN Events on Facebook, Twitter/X and YouTube.
