June means the official start of summer in Pure Michigan! And with school out for the year and warm weather here to stay, it’s the perfect time to experience some of the great things going on around the state. Below is a roundup of a few of the many events going on around Michigan in June. Please visit michigan.org for a complete [...]

The Henry Ford in Dearborn is geared up to celebrate what would have been Henry Ford himself’s 150th birthday this summer. Today, Lish Dorset of The Henry Ford fills us in on what’s happening. Summer is always a busy time at The Henry Ford, from families enjoying a visit together at Greenfield Village to kids [...]

DETROIT, MI – Little Caesars Pizza Bowl CEO George Perles, a former Michigan State coach, doesn’t want to see the game go away.
In fact, this Detroit native told MLive Detroit he would be open to having the game played outside if Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, no longer becomes an option.
“Maybe,” said Perles, when asked about the game’s chances of being outside. “They do it in New York!”

Could Comerica Park be the site of a new college football ball game in 2014?Chris Iott | MLive.com 

DETROIT, MI – Little Caesars Pizza Bowl CEO George Perles, a former Michigan State coach, doesn’t want to see the game go away.

In fact, this Detroit native told MLive Detroit he would be open to having the game played outside if Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, no longer becomes an option.

“Maybe,” said Perles, when asked about the game’s chances of being outside. “They do it in New York!”

Perles was referring to the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium hours after news broke that the Detroit Lions will launch a new bowl game in 2014 at Ford Field.

Lions officials haven’t commented publicly about the reports, but the Pizza Bowl chairman and executive director Ken Hoffman confirmed to MLive Detroit he’s been notified by the team of its intentions.

“They informed us of their desire to do so some time ago,” said Hoffman, also open to idea of playing the Pizza Bowl outside. 

Hoffman said Lions officials haven’t ruled out the possibility of playing both the Pizza Bowl and the new Lions-backed bowl game at Ford Field.

There are several cities that host two different bowl games including Orlando, San Diego, New Orleans and Phoenix, Hoffman added.

“With several days or a week in between (games) it shouldn’t be an issue,” Hoffman said. “In my mind, it’s not an issue.”

Only time will tell if the Lions back both games.

The bowl picture in Detroit could get much clearer in the coming weeks.

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said last week that the league planned to revamp its bowl lineup for 2014 as the current postseason slate began to stale.

An announcement is expected sometime this month.

“The goal is going to be that we keep these games fresh,” Delany said. “Also, that the bowls create the best possible lineup. I think there’s been some fatigue.”

Delany said the league will spread its revamped lineup around the country, with the Pinstripe Bowl in New York City considered a lock to be added, as well as the Holiday Bowl in San Diego.

The Lions-backed bowl game, according to ESPN, likely will pit the Big Ten against the ACC and eliminate the Pizza Bowl at the venue.

Both Perles and Hoffman said they are open to the idea of hosting the game at Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers, and are optimistic that Little Caesars will remain the bowl’s sponsor.

“We’re working on what our options are,” said Perles, who declined to reveal a timeline for a decision on the bowl’s future. “We really don’t know right now; it’s too early to tell. We still have this year to go through.”

The Pizza Bowl pits the eighth Big Ten team against the Mid-American Conference champion, with a Sun Belt bid as an alternate.

That game has been played since 1997, although never has featured in-state programs Michigan or Michigan State.

Perles engineered the idea of bringing a bowl game to Detroit.

The Pizza Bowl was once known as the Motor City Bowl and was played at Pontiac Silverdome.

Hoffman said the possibility of a Pizza Bowl move to the Silverdome in 2014 doesn’t appear to be a viable option.

The MI Pace Car Sweepstakes kicked off last month, when we teamed up with Michigan International Speedway (MIS), Ford Racing and Quicken Loans to give someone the chance to win a Ford Fusion Energi. As part of the sweepstakes, one lucky fan’s name is being randomly drawn each month (from April through July) and entered as [...]

With many parts of the state already experiencing summer-like warm weather, it’s only a matter of time before summer will officially be here! Make sure you have the essentials to keep you feeling and looking cool in the heat. From outdoor accessories to home goods, the Pure Michigan Store offers a variety of items to help prepare [...]

Hello, summer? It has felt like it all weekend long! 86 degrees today in Michigan. We spent the weekend dancing crazily to a jungle-themed dance party on Friday, laying in the grass and listening to music at an outdoor festival on Saturday and visiting…

Last night, I took a trip with Eleanor to Belknap Hill. It’s a prominent river bluff directly northeast of downtown Grand Rapids. I’ve been here once before, but it’s been a long while. It was so beautiful to come back at sunset and see downtown from t…

With fresh water fish including trout, walleyes, salmon, perch, bass ready to bite, Michigan is home to the best catches a fishing trip can offer. And now with the Family Friendly Fishing Waters guide from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), it’s the perfect time to plan a family fishing trip in Pure Michigan. [...]