Are You Ready for Some Football, Bitcoin Fans?

When you hear the word Bitcoin, you might think of a computer programmer, a cryptographer or a monetary policy enthusiast. You probably don't imagine a stadium full of cheering college football fans.

By the end of the year, your perception may change, though. In the latest bid to push Bitcoin into the mainstream of U.S. society, the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl will be held on Dec. 26 in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The three-year sponsorship was announced Wednesday by BitPay, a company that enables retailers to accept the digital currency.

"This will be a fantastic opportunity to raise Bitcoin awareness to millions of new users," BitPay Chief Executive Tony Gallippi wrote in a blog post. "Our goal is to make it the largest and most exciting Bitcoin event ever produced."

The bowl game, which will be televised by ESPN, will feature teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the American Athletic Conference, the TV network said in a news release.

Terms of BitPay's partnership with ESPN Events were not disclosed. And there's no word yet on whether football fans will be able to use their hard-earned bitcoins to purchase tickets to the game.