OLD DOMINION AND WESTERN KENTUCKY SELECTED FOR 2023 FAMOUS TOASTERY BOWL Former Conference USA Rivals Meet in Charlotte
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Old Dominion and Western Kentucky have been selected to participate in the 2023 Famous Toastery Bowl on Monday, Dec. 18 at 2:30 p.m. ET at the Charlotte 49ers’ Jerry Richardson Stadium. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN and broadcast on First Team Radio.
Old Dominion (6-6) is going to its second bowl game in three years under head coach Ricky Rahne. The Monarchs attained bowl eligibility by scoring 18 points in the final 1:37 to beat Georgia State, 25-24, in their final regular season game. ODU is led by 2022 All-American linebacker Jason Henderson, who leads the nation with 170 tackles.
Western Kentucky (7-5) is playing in its fifth straight bowl game under head coach Tyson Helton, and its 10th bowl in the last 12 years. The Hilltoppers won three of their last four games, and have now gone 15-4 in the month of November under Helton. Wide receiver Malachi Corley set the school record with 255 catches this season.
ODU and WKU were both members of Conference USA from 2014-21, with the Hilltoppers winning six of the seven meetings between the teams. Both teams are former Bahamas Bowl champions, WKU in 2014 and ODU in 2016.
“We are thrilled to work with Old Dominion and Western Kentucky again,” said Lea Miller-Tooley, executive director of the Bahamas Bowl and Famous Toastery Bowl. “They are exciting teams with great fan bases within driving distance of Charlotte. It will be a wonderful experience.”
One of 17 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events, the Famous Toastery
Bowl was created when the Bahamas Bowl announced that it will not be held in 2023 due to stadium renovations at Thomas A. Robinson Stadium in Nassau. The bowl, which traditionally features teams from the Mid-American Conference and Conference USA, is expected to return to The Bahamas in 2024.
“It is an honor to host teams from the highly competitive Conference USA and the Sun Belt,” said Clint Overby, vice president of ESPN Events. “The Charlotte community has done a great job getting the Famous Toastery Bowl up and running on short notice, and we think this match-up will provide a fantastic atmosphere for fans and ESPN viewers.”
ABOUT FAMOUS TOASTERY
Charlotte, N.C. based Famous Toastery is a breakfast, brunch and lunch franchise that encourages its guests, team and franchise owners to “Be Famous” in their local community by offering “Famously Fresh” meals and a much-needed hub for friends, families and neighbors to get together in a comfortable atmosphere where “every server is your server.” The brand began in 2005 before evolving into a franchise system in 2013 and growing to over 25 locations today. Famous Toastery has earned recognition from Restaurant Business’ The Future 50 (2019, 2020), Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top Food Franchises (2019) and Franchise 500 Rankings (2019, 2022), as well as CNBC as a top franchise to buy (2018), FSR Magazine as a Top 14 restaurant chains ready for liftoff (2018), Inc. 5000’s list of fastest-growing companies, and Franchise Times’ Top 200+ franchise opportunities (2018).
Won Life Brands, Famous Toastery’s parent company, is a premier growth and development company focused on delivering excellent experiences in the communities it serves. Won Life Brands operates company-owned properties and offers franchise opportunities across their brands, which includes Famous Toastery, Cartridge World, Flour Power, BBS: Your Big Burger Spot, Abby’s Better Nut Butter and Vavia. For more information about Famous Toastery, visit www. famoustoastery.com. To learn about franchising opportunities, please visit www.bestbreakfastfranchise.com.
ABOUT 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 a 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. For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.