And so it begins - the NFL Draft opt-outs from bowl season are heating up

https://ballparkdigest.com/2023/10/16/2023-milb-attendance-by-average/

It's a confluence of factors.  Some bowls were still interesting match-ups, and had historic conference ties.  For me, it's these factors that have my interest waning:

1. Loss of the integrity of historic conferences (therefore no B1G/PAC12 champion match-up)

2. Great players starting to sit-out (beginning with Christian McCaffery sitting out of the Depends Bowl) like 8 years ago.  

3. Increasing number of playoff teams, leading to increasing broadcast coverage of nothing but the playoff contenders.  

4. More shitty bowls and thus shittier teams making bowls.

5.  Loss of the original names of bowls in favor of changing corporate names.  

While none were as definitive as the new playoff will be at completely turning bowl season into dogshit, each of these factors, IMO, have contributed to a steady erosion of the experience.  

There are some big and subtle differences. 

 - There used to be far less bowls which meant earning a trip to one really was an honor. You had to have had a pretty good season. When a team is winning, it's easier to want to keep playing. 

 - Kids did not get to travel as much before. That has largely changed. It's not as exciting for a 19-20 year old to get to go to California or Florida when they have probably already been there a few times vs. when it was going to be their first time. 

- All of the swag and experiences which were unique are now common. Before recruits are even on campus, they get decked out in all the latest school's gear and shoes. Their dorm rooms, locker rooms, weight rooms, meal table at their schools are better than most of the hotels they will stay at now. Michigan goes on a weeklong trip together as a team now in the summer. While I think that is awesome and should continue, it also diminishes the importance and value of going on a weeklong trip for a bowl game together as a team. 

- NFL evaluations are much more in-depth now. The bowl game used to be your last showcase to improve your draft stock. Now someone playing at an FCS or Division II school will get scouted just as much as the #1 pick at the top school. There's no value in making that one last impression. 

I could keep going. As you can see, many of these changes have resulted in things being better for the student-athletes. That's a good thing. 

I think the new way fans need to look at bowl games, for every team not in the playoff, it is a chance to see what next year's team will look like. In essence, it is a winter scrimmage game against an actual opponent. 

"You had at most three (being generous) bowl games every year that could impact national title hunt."

Thank you. The notion that the BCS and now the playoffs have killed off all the bowl games that aren't involved in determining the national champion is revisionist history on steroids.

IMO what's prompting the bowl-game opt-outs are the truly life-changing amounts of money that are theoretically now available for the taking by college players.

If a player comes from a family that isn't wealthy and has reasonable prospects of getting drafted in an upper round, it's understandable that he would be hesitant to jeopardize his chances of obtaining generational wealth by playing in one last game.

That doesn't mean such fears are justified by the data, but that's a different argument.

Yeah, most of the bowls are meaningless money grabs and the thing is, most of the money is coming from TV. Except for the top bowls, the stadiums are half empty and most of those tix are giveaways. I understand that a lot of people will watch a meaningless bowl game on Wednesday December 20, but unless it's Michigan, that ain't me.

He’s also become a damn good TV guy for BTN.  Things worked out in the end.

MSU not bowling - no post season Adolf

And lee kuan and krotus.

Nah. I've got a warm bowl of fermented goats milk already waiting in my yurt.