Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg

The Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg is a college football postseason game played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., each year. Known as the St. Petersburg Bowl when it originated in 2008, the bowl was renamed the following year after the national chain of sports pub restaurants became sponsor for the 2009 edition. The annual postseason game in St. Petersburg is contested between bowl-eligible teams from the Big East Conference and Conference USA. The Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg is owned and operated by ESPN Regional Television.

The idea behind the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl emerged in the spring of 2008, when ESPN combined with local officials from the St. Petersburg, Fla., area to pitch the idea for an annual bowl game at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg to the NCAA Bowl Certification Committee. After the game was approved, it was announced that the bowl would annually feature a bowl-eligible team from the Big East Conference against one from Conference USA.

In the inaugural game -- called the St. Petersburg Bowl -- in December 2008, the University of South Florida defeated Memphis 41-14 at Tropicana Field. Quarterback Matt Grothe threw for 236 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Bulls -- who finished sixth in the Big East standings -- to victory over their Conference USA opponents.

Beef 'O' Brady's became the game's title sponsor for the 2009 edition, when Rutgers continued the Big East's success in the newly formed bowl by topping Central Florida 45-24. Mohammed Sanu scored three touchdowns in the Scarlet Knights' victory, while Billy Anderson returned an interception for another score.

In April 2010, the game's organizers decided to extend the bowl's agreement with the Big East and Conference USA through the 2013 college football season. Louisville, out of the Big East, won the 2010 edition of the game, while C-USA representative Marshall took home the trophy the following season.