Bowl Games - 2024 and Forward

[Green Mountains]

Next Year with a field of 12 teams competing for the National Championship, there will be 11 total bowl games with Championship implications - the first round of 8 (4 games), the second round of 8 team (4 games), the semifinals (2 games) and the Championship Game.

The opt outs and the portal transfers are hammering rosters. Many of the lesser bowl games begins to feel more and more like a spring game. The team(s) every fan base has been routing for all season is fundamentally altered. It's a great chance to look at the underclassmen, but many of the players who had impact during the season have moved on.

There are 42 bowl games this year (including the 3 - 2 semifinal and 1 championship -games impacting the national championship picture). That's 39 bowl games without any impact on the national championship. Next year that drops to 31 bowl games without any impact on the championship - 39 less 8 additional games needed in the 12 team format. These incremental 8 games are essentially the New Year's 6 games. Who is going to have any interest in the remaining 31 games? What's going to happen to the lesser bowl games?

If NIL and the portal continue to exist as currently constructed, I believe college football will lose a remarkable share of those games. I simply don't believe there will be enough interest outside of the rapid fan base to drive viewership/seat sales. The level of interest in the Championship Series games will be driven a mile high.....and most of all the others will struggle to justify their existence.

 

[NDohio]

Next Year with a field of 12 teams competing for the National Championship, there will be 11 total bowl games with Championship implications - the first round of 8 (4 games), the second round of 8 team (4 games), the semifinals (2 games) and the Championship Game.

The opt outs and the portal transfers are hammering rosters. Many of the lesser bowl games begins to feel more and more like a spring game. The team(s) every fan base has been routing for all season is fundamentally altered. It's a great chance to look at the underclassmen, but many of the players who had impact during the season have moved on.

There are 42 bowl games this year (including the 3 - 2 semifinal and 1 championship -games impacting the national championship picture). That's 39 bowl games without any impact on the national championship. Next year that drops to 31 bowl games without any impact on the championship - 39 less 8 additional games needed in the 12 team format. These incremental 8 games are essentially the New Year's 6 games. Who is going to have any interest in the remaining 31 games? What's going to happen to the lesser bowl games?

If NIL and the portal continue to exist as currently constructed, I believe college football will lose a remarkable share of those games. I simply don't believe there will be enough interest outside of the rapid fan base to drive viewership/seat sales. The level of interest in the Championship Series games will be driven a mile high.....and most of all the others will struggle to justify their existence.

I don't believe the first round games will be Bowl games. Those games will be help on campuses with no Bowl tie in.

 

[SDIrishFan]

I’m not sure of the solution, but the bowl games were driven by money, for the schools, the conferences and the networks. Again, if you want these kids to care, you’re going to have to give them a share.

I understand potential high draft picks opting out, I do. But the mid to late round, or likely UDFA kids, it’s a joke. And the schools likely need some recourse in partial pay pack of your scholly or NIL.

 

[PolishDomer]

What I never understood is why doesn't Div 1 do a true playoff like Div 2 and Div 3...better athletes in Div 1... Div 2 has a 28 team playoff and Div 2 32 team playoff.

Would solve the issue of stupid opt-outs...

NCAA Division II football championship - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

NCAA Division 3 Football Playoff 2023 Brackets Are Out. Here's What To Know - FloFootball

The NCAA Division III Football 2023 Playoff brackets are out. Here's what to know and the D3 Football Playoff Schedule.

www.flofootball.com

 

[stlnd01]

I’m not sure of the solution, but the bowl games were driven by money, for the schools, the conferences and the networks. Again, if you want these kids to care, you’re going to have to give them a share.

I understand potential high draft picks opting out, I do. But the mid to late round, or likely UDFA kids, it’s a joke. And the schools likely need some recourse in partial pay pack of your scholly or NIL.

The solution is probably simply that there are fewer bowl games. It feels kind of inevitable. And that's fine.

 

[irishff1014]

I’m not sure of the solution, but the bowl games were driven by money, for the schools, the conferences and the networks. Again, if you want these kids to care, you’re going to have to give them a share.

I understand potential high draft picks opting out, I do. But the mid to late round, or likely UDFA kids, it’s a joke. And the schools likely need some recourse in partial pay pack of your scholly or NIL.

And you will see some of the smaller schools start to fade away. This money helps fun and improve their programs from the bowls and if that money is not there, you will see them go bye-bye.

 

[irishff1014]

What I never understood is why doesn't Div 1 do a true playoff like Div 2 and Div 3...better athletes in Div 1... Div 2 has a 28 team playoff and Div 2 32 team playoff.

Would solve the issue of stupid opt-outs...

NCAA Division II football championship - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

NCAA Division 3 Football Playoff 2023 Brackets Are Out. Here's What To Know - FloFootball

The NCAA Division III Football 2023 Playoff brackets are out. Here's what to know and the D3 Football Playoff Schedule.

www.flofootball.com

Their playoffs are too big. There’s no reason the top 28 teams ought to be playing end of the story.

 

[Pete]

The Arizona Bowl has a new sponsor.

The Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin and Juice by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg

 

[LifelongFan]

Bowl games are an antiquated tradition that stems from a time when teams didn't travel the country to play. That plus the nearly unlimited number of them made them pointless. 6-6 teams don't need to have postseason games. I wouldn't risk my body and future paycheck for a meaningless game so the tourism board of Shreveport can make a couple bucks.

 

[KPENN]

The Arizona Bowl has a new sponsor.

The Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin and Juice by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg
View attachment 3055677

 

[Huntr]

 

[stlnd01]

Bowl games are an antiquated tradition that stems from a time when teams didn't travel the country to play. That plus the nearly unlimited number of them made them pointless. 6-6 teams don't need to have postseason games. I wouldn't risk my body and future paycheck for a meaningless game so the tourism board of Shreveport can make a couple bucks.

Sure, and that's why hardly anyone who is likely to be drafted plays in any bowl game below the playoffs anymore. And I'd imagine the 12-team playoff will cheapen the non-CFP games even more. At least the NY6 games retained some status in the previous system. Now...

That said, I think the games (and 15 practices leading up to them) have meaning to players who are coming back. It gives some (Steve Angeli for instance) a chance to show what they can do in live action. In this portal era that might be even more valuable than it used to be. The games may be "meaningless" but teams are usually still better off participating in them than not.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Bowl games are an antiquated tradition that stems from a time when teams didn't travel the country to play. That plus the nearly unlimited number of them made them pointless. 6-6 teams don't need to have postseason games. I wouldn't risk my body and future paycheck for a meaningless game so the tourism board of Shreveport can make a couple bucks.

You would think that this would absolutely do it for most football fans in America.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

Lucky for us, we’ll be in the playoffs every year.