Big 12 News: Pinstripe Bowl and TCU scheduling for future

December 29, 2012; Bronx, NY, USA; A member of the Yankee Stadium grounds crew blows snow off the yard lines before the start of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl game between the Syracuse Orange and the West Virginia Mountaineers at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Big 12 Likely Dropping New Era Pinstripe Bowl:

The Big 12 appears posted to be losing the New Era Pinstripe Bowl as one of its bowl tie ins when the new round of bowl contracts roll out in 2014. Earlier in the year the Big 12 announced that it would be looking to solidify a bowl in the south, mainly somewhere in the state of Florida. In doing so this would put in jeopardy the leagues relationship with the Pinstripe Bowl played at Yankee Stadium.

This week, the ACC seemed poised to swoop in as a replacement, formerly between the Big East and Big 12. The new Pinstripe Bowl looks to be a decently appealing game between the ACC and either the American Athletic Conference (the “new” Big East) and the Big 10.

ACC commissioner John Swofford told ESPN it would be “premature” to talk specifically about future bowl partners.

“Nothing has been solidified yet,” Swofford said. “We spent two days in Charlotte this week with our current bowl partners as well as potential future bowl partners, and with the increased depth and quality of our bowl lineup, I don’t think there’s any question that our lineup for the future will be enhanced.”

The ACC confirmed that it is likely to maintain partnerships with the Champs Sports Bowl, Music City Bowl, and the Belk Bowl as its line-up of mid-tiered match ups.

TCU Schedules Home-and-Home with Minnesota beginning in 2014:

TCU announced today that it has reached an agreement for a home-and-home with Minnesota beginning in 2014. TCU will host the first game at newly renovated Amon G. Carter Stadium on Sept. 13, 2014 and make a return trip on Sept. 3, 2015.

The last two match ups with the Big Ten have come in bowl play for the Horned Frogs. TCU played Michigan State in the 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl and Wisconsin in the 2011 Rose bowl.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to face a very good Minnesota program that’s coming off a bowl season,” TCU football coach Gary Patterson told GoFrogs.com. “To schedule someone non-conference from such a prestigious league like the Big Ten helps enhance our recruiting efforts. We’ve played Big Ten opponents in the past and know it will be a tremendous challenge.”

The Horned Frogs nonconference slate for the next few years appears to be good on paper. TCU plays in the Cowboys Classic against LSU at Cowboys Stadium to begin the 2013 season and has home-and-homes scheduled with Arkansas (2016-17) and Ohio State (2018-19).