Better Bowl System
Would having non playoff/major bowl games in early August be better? Since bowl games are essentially preseason games now anyway, seems like they could just make it official. Teams have always talked about those bowl practices being important to the next years teams development so why not put it at the start of the season then.
Seniors would potentially get hosed but each conference could have a version of the senior bowl even with the potential for a senior bowl playoff system that pits each conference's best seniors against one another (less any seniors playing in meaningful bowl games that is). Better opportunity to showcase talent and prepare for the combine. Conferences could pick coordinators/position coaches from the conference to act as head coaches/coordinators to keep head coaches free for recruiting duties.
Will comment below for all the neg bangs this thought likely deserves.
December 28th, 2018 at 1:01 PM ^
Share your thoughts as well. 23 hours to kickoff, Go Blue!
December 28th, 2018 at 1:07 PM ^
Other Benefits
- Northern outdoor bowl games, i.e. bowl in the Big House?
- If the senior bowl thing happened, players would get the opportunity to work with new coaches and learn a little more before the combine.
- Bowl games get the fan base pumped for the upcoming season instead of the current BPOAE (black pit of apathetic emotion) 40-50% of the fan base is feeling.
- Players can actually study for exams and spend the holidays with their families.
- We stop talking about players "letting their team down" by doing what we all went to school for and bettering our chances in life.
December 28th, 2018 at 3:21 PM ^
Or make the Senior Bowl only for players who’s team didn’t play in a bowl game, like MSU, and for players from the lower divisions to showcase their talent against better players. Maybe that would get some of these kids to stick with their team for the bowl.
December 28th, 2018 at 4:02 PM ^
Yeah, but with the Senior Bowl, it's more about the practices than the game itself. Pro scouts would scoff at this. Good idea though.
December 28th, 2018 at 1:34 PM ^
A game in August would be scrimmage, or just forced decent opponent in the pre-season. Bowls are supposed to be championships. Appreciate the thought though. I was in the middle of my own hot take about bowls when you posted this.
December 28th, 2018 at 1:15 PM ^
I actually posted something like this in a FP post a few weeks ago. As I've thought about it more, the more I think it's an interesting idea.
All the points that you mentioned are what I've thought too. I think it'd be great to showcase the new kids coming in w/o the pressure of "needing" to win to stay in the CFP hunt. The guys who want to stay safe for drafts will be already out and the people to replace them will be already in that spot and have two whole training sessions to get ready (spring and fall).
I think you'll get many more people to show up to the bowl since it's the first game of the season.
I would expand the playoffs to 8 teams just to give a few more games around NYE and give all the P5 champs, plus some at larges to play. I would personally add a G5 autobid, but I know some people don't agree with that.
December 28th, 2018 at 1:42 PM ^
What about a team that finishes 8-3 and gets left out of an August bowl? Or, the 3-8 team that went to one? You can’t reward teams with a bowl the summer after their great season
Waiting until the end of the season gives a reward to the teams and a place for fans to travel during the holidays.
December 28th, 2018 at 1:51 PM ^
Is it a reward to send them to a stadium away from their school where it's only 10% filled? I know I'm in the minority, but when I see those games I feel like that is a horrible send-off to the seniors. Playing in a game that no one shows up for.
Sure the players get to go to Florida, Texas or California but to play in a game that is only there for the bowl to get an sponsors name on it and get some money seems so disappointing to me.
I'll admit I could be way off - I never played football. But from an armchair observer it doesn't seem like it's a great send-off.
December 28th, 2018 at 2:18 PM ^
Some of the blame for empty seats can be laid at the feet of alumni and fans. In the B1G, Michigan and OSU travel well for bowls, but Sparty can’t fill their home stadium during the season. I won’t be surprised to see just a smattering of green in the stands for their bowl game.
December 28th, 2018 at 2:50 PM ^
Tickets are way too expensive for these games. I bet the Peach bowl isn't more than 3/4 full.
December 28th, 2018 at 3:20 PM ^
I never played at the college level and things have changed over the years, but in high school i never once thought about the crowd or how many people were there. These guys love the game and would compete in someone's backyard if they had to.
December 28th, 2018 at 1:21 PM ^
I do not like it as a bowl system.
But, I have often thought the first game should be determined on your previous year record. Not completely, or you would have rematches of the playoff games. But, something like a raffle. Top ten teams in a hat and they get matched up. 11-29, etc.. It would get rid of a lot of the top teams scheduling cupcakes and make for a very interesting week 1 of the season.
December 28th, 2018 at 1:27 PM ^
No regular season games, only a 12 game bowl schedule.
December 28th, 2018 at 5:24 PM ^
Haha, cool idea but Bama would just end up playing the Citadel 11 weeks in a row and then Auburn.
December 28th, 2018 at 1:28 PM ^
Would totally disagree with this take. The vast majority of college football players know that college is the end of their football careers (even at blue blood college programs). The bowl game itself serves a reward of sorts for a season of hard work, effort and dedication. The ENTIRE TEAM goes, not just the players you see on the field every Saturday and it is not meaningless to the kids. I know this because my younger brother went to four of these games as a player and into his late 30s still speaks fondly of them.
December 28th, 2018 at 1:31 PM ^
To be fair, each player would still be going to four games (or five) with the team. Bowls were different when your brother played. I think you'll see more and more people sitting out of bowl games as the CFP continues. Is it really the ENTIRE TEAM if you best players decide to sit out for fear of being injured?
December 28th, 2018 at 1:33 PM ^
If you had 2 32 team tournaments every current bowl site could get a game. They would also be more interesting and competitive.
December 28th, 2018 at 1:39 PM ^
One of the complaints I heard for not expanding to 8 teams is they don't want to add another game to the season since it's such a injury proned sport. I doubt they would add another 4 games to make it more interesting.
Personally I think it should be like that or how the FCS does it but I'm assuming that isn't possible atm.
December 28th, 2018 at 1:47 PM ^
In theory, you could eliminate all non-conference games and just bake it all into the playoff system. Higher seeds get home games until the top rounds. Each team could play 10 games in their conference. Problem is getting all the conferences to agree on any of these ideas though.
December 28th, 2018 at 1:54 PM ^
Exactly, I'm 100% in support removing non conference games. But you'll never even get Michigan to agree with that. They won't give up the revenue from 3 home games, regardless of the level of the team for the chance to be in the playoffs.
No solution is "perfect" but it's really just trying to find the best compromise between the universities, players, fans, bowl sponsors, etc. Every part of the bowl enterprise wants it all, but that will never happen so we need to find something that works for everyone. Maybe it's how we're doing it now, but it can't hurt to have discussions about how we as fans (one section of the enterprise) can improve it.
December 28th, 2018 at 1:36 PM ^
If you had 2 32 team tournaments every current bowl site could get a game. They would also be more interesting and competitive.
December 28th, 2018 at 1:45 PM ^
Someone just posted this exact same comment above!
December 28th, 2018 at 2:01 PM ^
An eight team national championship playoff and a 16 to 32 team NIT-style also-ran tournament would be awesome. Build it around the bowls if necessary,but it would be way better than the last 10 days of pure trash.
December 28th, 2018 at 1:31 PM ^
This would be awful. However, intersquad scrimmages in August would be cool as a side show.
The problem with bowls is just that there are waaaay too many of them. Nothing related to the playoff or even the concept of corporate sponsorship has ruined the bowls. They diluted themselves by lining up pointless matchups between bad teams. So, now the whole of "bowls" includes so much garbage that the legitimately good matchups like UW-OSU and UF-UM are overwhelmed until they actually occur.
To sum up,save the bowls by eliminating more than half of them. Or better yet, redevelop the post-season altogether into a college basketball approach with multiple tournaments seeded in a hierarchy.
December 28th, 2018 at 1:31 PM ^
This is worse than the Jump To Conclusions Mat.
December 28th, 2018 at 3:21 PM ^
I believe that this idea has been hatched from the Smoking Bowl.
December 28th, 2018 at 1:39 PM ^
No. Even though the bowl system is broken, at best, I still think they mean a lot to most of the country's teams. Of course for the bluebloods missing the playoffs renders the bowls meaningless, for teams that struggle to get to 7-8 wins and will never sniff a major bowl let alone the playoffs it is a nice end of season reward for guys who will (99% of them anyway) never play football after college. Since most college players are in this boat, the bowls do mean something to a lot of them. Making them a preseason game, essentially, would take that away.
And if you're not gonna pay these kids at least let the Temples, Miami(OH)s and Utahs of the country get some post-season bowl action.
Personally, I like the old bowl system set up but then would have liked to see a plus-one, if you will. Re-rank after the traditional bowl match-ups and take the top 2 or even top 4 for a playoff. But sadly this will never happen. And yes Scott Frost, we would have beaten Nebraska in 1997 if we did a plus one.
December 28th, 2018 at 1:56 PM ^
A couple of obvious issues to resolve are;
It's extending the season by a whole month for teams that play in an August bowl and then qualify for the playoffs or a major bowl.
Teams playing those early August bowls will be at an advantage because of the extra practice time. Logically, that's much more significant than getting extra time the previous December.
December 28th, 2018 at 2:03 PM ^
True about the second point. But I guess I was assuming all teams would still be allowed to play an exhibition game (like in bball) but it just wouldn't be tied to a bowl or a powerhouse team.
And I know people are going to say, "then why even call it a bowl if everyone plays a game like it regardless". I don't have an answer to that. I would also assume the practice time would be tied with fall practice, so no team would get additional practice time for making a "bowl" or "sponsored exhibition" or whatever you'd want to call it.
EDIT: For clarification, I've always thought this game would be a couple weeks before the first game of the season. Not in June or August where the temperature and humitidy is very bad and could cause health problems to the players.
December 28th, 2018 at 4:28 PM ^
The season begins now at the beginning of September. A couple weeks earlier is the middle of August.
December 28th, 2018 at 2:02 PM ^
I can see the number of heat related deaths rising dramatically with this idea.
December 28th, 2018 at 2:03 PM ^
Why not just expand the playoffs and dump the bowl system?
December 28th, 2018 at 2:09 PM ^
I'm trying to understand the purpose of creating a thread and then making the first reply (and then a reply to that reply). Why not just enter that information in the OP? I am confused.
EDIT: Now I see.
December 28th, 2018 at 2:12 PM ^
I appreciate the effort but this is dumb.
December 28th, 2018 at 2:13 PM ^
As a fan, I could see some interest in turning the bowl into a spring game because it means I get to watch a football game in March/April. But by then the seniors will have moved on with their lives, most likely, so it isnt a true reward anymore. Moreover, teams would lose the 3 weeks of bowl practice in the winter, which I think they would be against.
How about incorporating a team's bowl result the rankings for the next year? That would make at least 5-10 bowl games have much more meaning
December 28th, 2018 at 2:13 PM ^
Somethings got to change..the entire bowl sytem has been rendered useless...just look at the 3/4 empty stadiums with teams at 6-6...I have lost all inerest...CFP is a scam designed to help the SEC....a 8 or 16 team playoff is required...if High Schools, NAIA, Div 2, Div 3 FBS and the NFL why the Hell cant Div 1...I mean all the arguments against it are stupid...if every other div can do it so an Div 1...
December 28th, 2018 at 5:21 PM ^
..the entire bowl sytem has been rendered useless..
.if every other div can do it so an Div 1...
Any playoff configuration: 2,4,6,8,12,16 teams, is bound to prove unsatisfactory. The voices against any playoff in the first place (and retaining or going back to the old bowl system) were saying this all along.
They screwed up something beautifully unique to the sports world by chasing dollars and following what other sports do.
December 28th, 2018 at 5:24 PM ^
BTW I find the 6-6 teams in bowl games often bring some of the most motivation and interesting performances to watch. After all, they are fighting to finish with a winning record. [Purdue's Music Bowl performance being an obvious exception]
December 28th, 2018 at 2:13 PM ^
Lol or pay players for winning a bowl game, that would increase interest
December 28th, 2018 at 2:29 PM ^
What am I supposed to watch over winter break if there aren't bowls? College bball? The NBA? Hard pass.
December 28th, 2018 at 2:39 PM ^
The sad part to all of these ideas is that it would be EASY to fix this mess..BUT the SEC will block anything and everything because this system favors them as evidence by 4 FOUR!!! teams in NY6 bowls while for the 3rd straight year the Big Ten Champ one of the top 2 leagues gets shut out ..the whole thing is a big ole MESS
December 28th, 2018 at 2:54 PM ^
I would get rid of bowl tie ins or any other rule preventing teams from playing in a certain bowl.
i rather see Michigan vs LSU, Ucf vs Florida and OSU Vs Georgia then what we got now
December 28th, 2018 at 5:40 PM ^
Don't necessarily need to get rid of tie ins (I think it is great that the Pac-12 and B1G are tied to the Rose Bowl), but there outgh to be a better, more flexible means of selecting and matching opponents, or maybe a better algorithm. Optimizing matchups and locations; no repeats at the same venue, or repeats between the same teams within a certain amount of time; etc. ESPN owns the majority of the bowls anyway, it shouldn't be that difficult to arrange.
December 28th, 2018 at 2:57 PM ^
I am opposed to any scheme that does not require Southern teams to play Northern teams up north, outdoors, in the winter.
December 28th, 2018 at 4:26 PM ^
I don't know that I would even bother with calling them bowls if you want to play them in August, as that just seems the antithesis of what bowls actually are, which are games in part based on season results. In part....key phrase, of course.
Now, some select inter-squad scrimmages in August? I would be amenable to that. Maybe 1-2 of them as a "pre-season" of a sort.
December 28th, 2018 at 4:36 PM ^
Absolutely not.
December 28th, 2018 at 5:00 PM ^
Just not worth it for teams/players. The NFL preseason is already pretty much a waste, doubt an NCAA one would be any different. Just another opportunity for players to get injured and potentially be out for a more significant period of time since it's right before the season starts, meaning coaches would likely sit a lot of players. For players, a few in-game reps might help prepare, but not enough worth it enough given the injury risk.
December 28th, 2018 at 6:52 PM ^
Yep. Other than the many other points about this being a bad idea, probably the biggest reason this would never happen is INJURIES.
No coach is going to want to take the additional risk on a game that doesn't matter. Getting the younger guys an additional month of practice at the end of the season means that if they suffer an injury during practice or in the bowl, they'll recover by the next season (in most cases).
December 28th, 2018 at 5:07 PM ^
I realize the OP is talking about something different, but I'd like to see some sort of Conference Challlenge (based on last season's standings), rotating conferences each year for the opening (Labor Day) weekend or early September
I'd also like to see something similar for the spring game, and probably a mid-August scrimmage as well.
December 28th, 2018 at 5:07 PM ^
Why are so many people saying that bowl games are meaningless? Just because talking heads on ESPN (TV and radio versions) are saying they're meaningless, doesn't mean fans have to regurgitate their illogical BS. Nobody on this blog or on a media network is currently on a roster that is getting ready to play in a game. I assure you, the games have meaning for the players who choose to play in them. Who cares if players sit out; the team is a hell of a lot more important than the player - and it's by a landslide. Sure, some teams show up and some don't, but it's like that throughout the regular season (OSU vs Purdue) as well.
The media only cares about these "meaningless" games when there's a storyline - like Auburn crushing Purdue or Harbaugh losing another big game, otherwise they can care less.
There's no doubt that the OSU game took a lot out of us as fans but I've never seen/heard so many people not be interested in Michigan having a chance to win 11 games.
We're just fans. Enjoy the moment and route for your team.
(I'm not implying that the OP is being negative or not interested in tomorrow's game, just wanted to share my thoughts on the bowl games)
That's my rant. Pile on.