Army (9-2 record) not allowed a bowl bid due to contractual obligations
Filed under "B.S.":
Link: https://mobile.twitter.com/Brett_McMurphy/status/1340787125143400453
December 20th, 2020 at 8:13 PM ^
Just to make the situation more absurd, let's look at one of the teams that did accept a bowl bid: South Carolina.
2020 record is 2-8
Fired their head coach and a numberof other staff members weeks ago.
Had such covid outbreaks that their last game had only 30 scholarship players available.
Yet (with strong pressure from SEC commissioner Sankey) they have accepted a bid to play University of Alabama - Birmingham (UAB).
December 20th, 2020 at 9:52 PM ^
For fuck sakes.
Im not going to watch any more games this year. My college football fandom is on life support
December 20th, 2020 at 6:56 PM ^
The already moronic Bowl system has hit a new low...
December 20th, 2020 at 8:13 PM ^
The CFP and bowl system is broken.
December 20th, 2020 at 6:57 PM ^
So sad on many levels! Army would be a great draw for TV and some of these shitty bowls.
December 20th, 2020 at 8:11 PM ^
Ok to defend our Country, but not ok to compete on national TV doing something they train all year for. Absolutely wrong
December 20th, 2020 at 6:58 PM ^
Not that I remember all of the past year's bowl lineups, but this has to be the worst batch of bowl games I've ever seen. I don't think I'll watch anything other than the College Football Playoff games.
December 20th, 2020 at 7:56 PM ^
I probably won't even watch much of that.
December 21st, 2020 at 9:27 AM ^
Yeah, I’ll flip to see if Ohio St or Alabama are losing. Maybe there’s some entertainment there. Otherwise, same CFP we’ve been seeing for years.
Expand the playoff or blow it up, I don’t care. Either way, something has to change to make CFB more fun/competitive.
December 20th, 2020 at 6:59 PM ^
This is total BS. These guys play their asses off while maintaining a most rigorous academic, leadership and military training. Make it right and put them in a bowl game.
December 20th, 2020 at 10:45 PM ^
that's not going to happen unfortunately.
December 20th, 2020 at 7:02 PM ^
On a side note - I read the title of this post as if Army itself had contractual obligations and would have to miss the Bowl games.
Didnt know what those obligations might be - but "kicking the shit out of Iran" came to mind...
December 20th, 2020 at 7:21 PM ^
Think more locally.
December 20th, 2020 at 7:29 PM ^
Thanks for the reminder - we also need to beat the living shit out of you and your Russian hacking comrades, by god...
December 20th, 2020 at 7:58 PM ^
Canada needs to open their border one way or another.
December 20th, 2020 at 10:27 PM ^
Getting involved in a war with Iran is about the stupidest thing that we could be doing with our military right now. It blows my mind that so many people are itching to try to make that a thing.
December 20th, 2020 at 7:06 PM ^
Thank you for your service.
December 20th, 2020 at 7:17 PM ^
If there was EVER a time for the NCAA to not be a pile of boners, step in and fix something, this would be it.
December 20th, 2020 at 7:34 PM ^
Bend/change every rule to make sure OSU goes to the finals. Modify no rules for a bunch of guys who have signed up to put their lives on the line in defense of our country.
Got it.
December 20th, 2020 at 7:38 PM ^
I appreciate the Army as much as you.
But these two things are really not connected.
I can't stand OSU, but their case to be a top 4 is pretty fair. I could see A and M over them, but it's not a huge beef.
December 20th, 2020 at 7:40 PM ^
If there is a better metaphor for the bowls and college football, I’ve not heard it.
Ive lost interest in all college athletics except Michigan for these types of truths. Maybe I’ll watch WWE Raw. It’s less predictable.
December 20th, 2020 at 7:46 PM ^
It’s not about rules. These are contracts. It’s a legal situation. Not saying it makes it any better, but it’s a lot harder to go against a contract, screwing a conference out of money it was contracted, than it is to change a few rules.
December 20th, 2020 at 8:09 PM ^
Oh come on. Contracts are modified/renegotiated all the time. Let the Army guys play and if some conference complains let ESPN send send them a check. If that doesn’t work I bet Army would forgo the payment and send it to “wronged” party. They have an $800Billion budget.
December 20th, 2020 at 8:21 PM ^
I’m simply pointing out It’s not as simple as changing a rule. It’s a binding legal contract. Yes, it could be renegotiated, but it wouldn’t be easy. Think of it from the POV of the contracted parties. You’re the MAC or the Mountain West down a few million dollars after not being able to sell tickets, amongst other things this year. The bowl commission (or whomever it is that controls these things) says “hey, I know we’re contractually obligated to take you, but your qualifying team is 3-8 and we have Army over here at 9-2. We’re going to give it to them.”
Wouldn’t you consider suing for breach of contract? You lose out on a huge chunk of change that you desperately need right now and just say “oh well, good for Army”?
You’re suggestion that Army could agree to just give the money to the wronged party is a good one. That could work.
December 20th, 2020 at 9:24 PM ^
Teams/athletic departments often lose money on bowl games. The bowl payouts don't go directly to the school going to the bowl game. The payout goes to the conference and is divided up between all the conferences members.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/sports/ncaa-football-bowl-season-why-school…
https://theoutline.com/post/2632/college-football-bowl-sponsorship-busi…
December 21st, 2020 at 9:31 AM ^
Is Carolina Blue the only one who “gives a shit about the rules?!?!?”
Mark it zero
December 20th, 2020 at 7:41 PM ^
Now we will get to watch a 2-5 team play instead. Can't wait for that one.
December 20th, 2020 at 7:43 PM ^
Army should declare war on the NCAA
December 20th, 2020 at 7:47 PM ^
"Space Force" needs a football team.
December 20th, 2020 at 8:22 PM ^
Pence approves this message....
December 20th, 2020 at 8:31 PM ^
The Guardians is a catchy name for a team.
December 20th, 2020 at 8:36 PM ^
Emblem looks awfully familiar...
I wonder if anyone has told Gene Roddenberry's estate about this.
December 20th, 2020 at 7:52 PM ^
They need to get rid of all bowl tie ins.
December 20th, 2020 at 10:29 PM ^
Just get rid of the bowls.
December 20th, 2020 at 8:00 PM ^
Would be great for Warde to throw them a bone and see about heading to West Point for an exhibition. Tell the NC double A-holes to kick rocks if there’s a problem
December 20th, 2020 at 9:06 PM ^
Perhaps they could schedule a special bowl game against another deserving team, say Cincinnati, the day before the National Championship game?
December 21st, 2020 at 1:50 AM ^
They already played Cincinnati-- one of their two losses.
Your point is still valid, though.
December 21st, 2020 at 1:53 AM ^
Army's AD is trying to find them another opportunity to play:
"These young men haven't quit all year and we surely won't quit now," said Army West Point Director of Athletics, Mike Buddie. "They deserve better. Period. They have earned an opportunity to get 10 wins and, as we have all year, we will continue to fight to get them that opportunity."
December 21st, 2020 at 2:02 AM ^
But at least 2-8 South Carolina got a bowl
December 21st, 2020 at 9:22 AM ^
Without knowing what the weather conditions are going to be in the New York/New Jersey area this coming weekend, if I were the Rutgers AD, I’d consider asking Greg Schiano, his coaches and players if they’d be willing to accept an offer to play at Army or have Army play at Rutgers.
While it would be great for Michigan to offer to play Army, unlike Michigan that hasn’t played since November 28 because of COVID-19 protocols, Rutgers played Nebraska last Friday night, so they should be ready to play another game this weekend. Rutgers also was one of the few Big Ten schools that managed to play its full schedule this season and it is not one of the schools that opted out of playing in a bowl game.
If Rutgers has a sufficient number of players and coaches who are not sidelined due to injuries and COVID-19 protocols, then this would be an opportunity to enhance the Rutgers football program’s image and provide some positive news for the Big Ten. There might be some marketing advantage to promoting how the school that played in the first official college football game agreed to play the school whose players become the nation's first line of military defense.
Whether the game would be played at Army or at Rutgers, travel could be made by bus. It’s under 90 miles between West Point and Piscataway.
December 21st, 2020 at 6:36 PM ^
Why can't Army play in one of the numerous bowl games which have teams that have opted not to play.