Lingerie Bowl canceled over dispute with Caliente nudist resort

LAND O'LAKES — It was supposed to be the Lingerie Bowl, not the naked bowl.

Now the whole thing has been canceled.

Citing conflicts with the hosting Caliente nudist resort over a "clothing mandate" that bowl organizers say was agreed upon, the Lingerie Football League is throwing in the towel. A league spokesman said holding and broadcasting the game in the nude or around nude people was not what the players or league had in mind.

"The league will not place our fans, players, staff nor partners in a less-than-comfortable environment that would ultimately jeopardize the mainstream perception and reputation of the brand that so many have worked diligently over these past five years to build," the league's Stephon McMillen said.

Angye Fox, a spokeswoman for Caliente Resorts, issued this statement: "Caliente is a luxury clothing-optional resort. We ran into conflicts with the Lingerie Football League wanting more areas of our resort restricted to clothing required than we could accommodate."

The league's announcement came after weeks of problems that hinted the Jan. 31 Lingerie Bowl VI, which was to air on pay-per-view during the Super Bowl halftime, was in trouble.

The game struggled to find a venue. Last week, the league announced it had found a new home at Caliente, a clothing-optional resort in Pasco County.

McMillen said the cancellation was disappointing, but "we feel ultimately it is in the best interest of the league not to place ourselves in what some would consider a potentially negative environment."