43 Bowl games next year? Bowls for 66% of D1 FBS schools
I heard this on the radio yesterday and I thought it was a little insane. Four cities have applied to the NCAA to host bowl games for next season. If all are approved the total number of bowl games could be as high as 43.
20 years ago there were 18 bowl games.
Personally, I'm not fond of 6-6 teams playing in the "Valvoline Nobody Cares Bowl". I think at least having a winning record should be required for post-season play.
It's not bad if you're a major power 5 team, going to a bowl game is awful.
Most schools lose a ton of money because they are forced to pay for a block of tickets to try to resell them to fans, hotel rooms, travel. UConn reported losing close to 1.5 million when they went to a BCS bowl a few years ago.
Really now that the playoff is around, the lesser bowls are basically football's version of the NIT, CIT, CBI, etc. They are mostly meaningless to everyone except the players and staff. I wouldn't be surprised if the economics just don't make sense for schools and you'll start to see schools just passing, or the bowls having to shell out more to pay for the schools. Have no grudge against more bowls but it doesn't seem like it will last anyway.
Really hope the playoff expands to at least 8 teams. The FCS and D2, D3 playoffs are almost always more entertaining than the vast majority of the bowl games. We have to realize the old bowl system like when Bo was coaching is gone and isn't coming back.
I guess I don't have a problem with more bowl games, it just doesn't make a difference in my life. The only thing about bowl games that have been anoying to me have been the dumb names "Kraft Mac n Cheese Bowl" " "Famous Idaho Potato Bowl" and sponsors killing the bowl with a long title in front. Happy though that more student/athletes get to play another game, hopefully someplace warm.
Just think in 10 years it'll be: December 28th, 2025 "CostCo Shoppers Ipod Bowl" played in an actual CostCo
Schools need to stop signing contracts to buy huge blocks of tickets for millions of dollars for anything third-tier and below.
Will that prevent us from going to the Yoplait Greek Yogurt Bowl? Probably. But it has to start somewhere, and if the extra practices and extra game are really that beneficial (which I believe they are) then a school with a guaranteed base like M should not buy tix...let that responsibility sit on the bowl.
If that means we drop from a third-tier to a fifth-tier bowl who will take a chance and say "Fuggit, they're M, they'll sell enough for the December 24th Bowl," so be it. The difference between playing on the 29th and the 24th is negligible if the true benefit is more practice...because if you're playing at a low-tier, you're playing for next year anyway.
Hopefully...none of this will apply to us. But someone will have to take a stand at some point. Maybe Texas can do the noble thing.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad