The inaugural St. Petersburg Bowl will be played Saturday, Dec. 20, 2008, at Tropicana Field. Kickoff is 6:30 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN2.

The bowl will pit teams from the Big East and Conference USA.

“We are not only thrilled to create a Florida bowl game experience for teams from C-USA and the Big East, we’re also proud to showcase the St. Petersburg area and all it has to offer,” said Pete Derzis, ESPN Regional Television’s Senior Vice President and General Manager. “The early evening kickoff will allow those attending the game to enjoy a full day of Florida’s renowned December weather before their bowl experience.”

Bowl organizers originally wanted the game on Sunday, Dec. 21, but changed when the NFL schedule had the Bucs host San Diego that evening on national TV.

Tickets to the 2008 St. Petersburg Bowl are expected to go on sale this summer. For information, call 1-800-325-2910 or go to StPetersburgBowl.com.