Scenes from the 2013 Texas Bowl

AdvoCare International, the Plano-based company that markets nutrition, weight-loss, energy and sports performance products, will be announced today as the new title sponsor of the AdvoCare Texas Bowl, the December college bowl game at Reliant Stadium owned by ESPN Regional Television and operated by the Texans.

AdvoCare, which previously sponsored the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, will be the game’s title sponsor through 2016, officials with ESPN and the Texans said Monday. The game will be played in late December and will match teams from the Big 12 and Southeastern Conference.

“For a bowl game to be successful, you have to have ticket sales, television and a title sponsor as the keys to victory,” said Jamey Rootes, president of the Texans and their Lone Star Sports & Entertainment subsidiary. “We have the third key to provide a stable base for this game going forward.”

The game’s Big 12 participant will be named following selections for the College Football Playoff and the Alamo and Russell Athletic bowls. The SEC participant will be selected after the College Football Playoff and Capital One Bowl slots are filled and will be assigned by the league along with teams for the Belk Bowl, Gator Bowl, Liberty Bowl, Music City Bowl and Outback Bowl

“We are happy that we have a (title) partner that share our vision of what we are trying to do with the game,” said Clint Overby, senior director of events for ESPN Regional Television. “Regardless of the sponsor, we were going to move this game up the chain with respect to bowl alliances. We made that decision, and the title sponsor shared that vision with us.”

The Texas Bowl, which did not have a title sponsor in 2013, paid $1.7 million each to participants Syracuse and Minnesota. Payouts have not been determined for 2014 but are expected to be substantially higher with the addition of the SEC.

AdvoCare also sponsors the AdvoCare Texas Kickoff game played during Labor Day weekend at Reliant Stadium, and Rootes said adding the December bowl game provides additional value for the company.

The Texas Bowl has been without a title sponsor for most of its eight-year history. Meineke Car Care was title sponsor in 2011-12, but its parent company, Driven Brands, ended its bowl sponsorships after 2012.

“Our goal is to have a strong, sustainable partnership (with AdvoCare) for a long time,” Rootes said. “They have deep roots in Texas with a national footprint, and we will work hard to deliver value.”