A Better Bowl Season
I think we can all agree that the gold-blazer clad men who run college football's bowls have taken their power to manaical heights. 41 games over 3 weeks. Teams with losing records somehow making their way to the postseason based on that time-tested metric of APR.
I don't usually believe in reversing progress. Time marches forward. I'm not thrilled with Rutgers or Maryland being in the Big 10, but that is the cost of the future. That said, progress and expansion aren't mutually exclusive. Cutting back the number of bowl games to something more manageable will only cut out the corporate suits who benefit from a 6-6 team playing a 5-7 team in a 1/4 full stadium on a Wednesday afternoon in December.
NEW YEAR'S SIX BOWLS:
CFP National Championship: Semifinal Winner vs Semifinal Winner [2nd Saturday in January] (Rotating NFL Stadium) *8PM EST, ABC*
Orange Bowl: ACC #1 vs At-Large [Jan. 1st] (Miami Gardens, FL) *1PM EST, ABC*
Rose Bowl: Big 10 #1 vs Pac-12 #1 [Jan. 1st] (Pasadena, CA) *4:30PM EST, ABC*
Sugar Bowl: Big 12 #1 vs SEC #1 [Jan. 1st] (New Orleans, LA) *8PM EST, ABC*
Cotton Bowl: At-Large vs At-Large [Dec. 31st] (Arlington, TX) *5:00PM EST, ABC*
Fiesta Bowl: At-Large vs At-Large [Dec. 31st] (Glendale, AZ) *8:00PM EST, ESPN*
Peach Bowl: At-Large vs At-Large [Dec. 31st] (Atlanta, GA) *12PM EST, ESPN*
Note 1: CFP Semifinals will continue to rotate as schedule. Semifinals, Orange, Rose, and Sugar will be broadcast on ABC.
Rose/Sugar (2014, 2017, 2020, 2023)
Cotton/Orange (2015, 2018, 2021, 2024)
Fiesta/Peach (2016, 2019, 2022, 2025)
Note 2: Highest-ranked team in Group of 5 guaranteed a bid to Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, or Peach Bowl
Note 3: Conference tie-ins determined by (in order): CFP Ranking, Conf. Record, Overall Record
Note 4: In years where Jan. 1st is a Sunday, New Year's Day games will be moved to New Year's Eve and New Year's Eve games will be moved to Dec. 30th.
TIER ONE BOWLS
Alamo Bowl: Big 12 #2 vs Pac-12 #2 [Dec. 31st] (San Antonio, TX) *3:30PM EST, ESPN*
Citrus Bowl: Big 10 #2 vs SEC #2 [Jan. 1st] (Orlando, FL) *1PM EST, ESPN*
Gator Bowl: ACC #3 vs At-Large [Dec. 31st] (Jacksonville, FL) *12PM EST. ESPN2*
Holiday Bowl: At-Large vs Pac-12 #3 [Dec. 30th] (San Diego, CA) *8PM EST, ESPN*
Outback Bowl: Big 10 #3 vs SEC #3 [Jan. 1st] (Tampa, FL) *12PM EST, ESPN2*
Russell Athletic Bowl: ACC #2 vs Big 12 #3 [Dec. 29th] (Orlando, FL) *5PM EST, ESPN*
Note 1: 2nd Highest Ranked Group of Five team guaranteed spot in Gator or Holiday Bowl*
Note 2: Conference tie-ins determined by (in order): CFP Ranking, Conf. Record, Overall Record
Note 3: Bowl has option to swap conference tie-in if lower-ranked team is within 2 CFP Rankings spots and has same or better conference record as higher ranked team.
Note 4: In years where Jan. 1st is a Sunday, New Year's Day games will be moved to New Year's Eve and New Year's Eve games will be moved to Dec. 30th.
TIER TWO BOWLS
Foster Farms Bowl: Big 10 #4 vs Pac-12 #4 [Dec. 26] (Santa Clara, CA) *8PM EST, ESPN*
Liberty Bowl: ACC #5 vs Big 12 #5 [Dec. 24] (Memphis, TN) *5PM EST, ESPN*
Music City Bowl: ACC #4 vs SEC #4 [Dec. 30] (Nashville, TN) *8PM EST, ESPN2*
Pinstripe Bowl: At Large vs Big 10 #5 [Dec. 26] (Bronx, NY) *12PM EST, ABC*
Sun Bowl: Pac-12 #5 vs SEC #5 [Dec. 26] (El Paso, TX) *3:30PM EST, CBS*
Texas Bowl: Big 12 #4 vs At Large [Dec. 29] (Houston, TX) *8PM EST, ESPN*
Note 1: 3rd Highest Ranked Group of Five team guaranteed spot in Pinstripe or Texas Bowl*
Note 2: Conference tie-ins determined by (in order): CFP Ranking, Conf. Record, Overall Record
Note 3: Bowl has option to swap conference tie-in if lower-ranked team is within 2 CFP Rankings spots and has same or better conference record as higher ranked team.
TIER THREE BOWLS
Birmingham Bowl: American #1 vs SEC #6 [Dec. 30] (Birmingham, AL) *5PM EST, ESPN*
Cactus Bowl: Mountain West #2 vs Pac-12 #6 [Dec. 19] (Phoenix, AZ) *3:30PM EST, ESPN*
Hawaii Bowl: American #2 vs Sun Belt #2 [Dec. 24] (Honolulu, HI) *8PM EST, ESPN*
Heart of Dallas Bowl: Big 12 #6 vs Conference USA #2 [Dec. 26] (Dallas, TX) *4PM EST, ESPN*
Las Vegas Bowl: MAC #1 vs Mountain West #1 [Dec. 19] (Las Vegas, NV) *7PM EST, ESPN*
Military Bowl: Air Force/Army/Navy vs ACC #6 [Dec. 28] (Annapolis, MD) *8PM EST, ESPN2*
New Orleans Bowl: Conference USA #1 vs Sun Belt #1 [Dec. 19] (New Orleans, LA) *12PM EST, ESPN*
Quick Lane Bowl: Big 10 #6 vs MAC #2 [Dec. 28] (Detroit, MI) *5PM EST, ESPN2*
Note 1: Conference tie-ins determined by (in order): CFP Ranking, Championship, Conf. Record, Overall Record
Note 2: If Power 5 conference can't fulfill 6th spot, that spot shall be taken by a Group of 5 team.
Now, that is the general template, which is simply a pared down and more organized version of the current format. So, what would the 2015 schedule look like?
Sat. December 19th, 2015
New Orleans Bowl: Western Kentucky vs Arkansas State *12PM, ESPN*
Cactus Bowl: Boise State vs UCLA *3:30PM, ESPN*
Las Vegas Bowl: Bowling Green vs San Diego State *7PM, ESPN*
Thurs. December 24th, 2015
Liberty Bowl: Louisville vs West Virginia *5PM, ESPN*
Hawaii Bowl: Memphis vs Appalachian State *8PM, ESPN*
Sat. December 26th, 2015
Pinstripe Bowl: #24 Temple vs Penn State *12PM, ABC*
Sun Bowl: Washington State vs Arkansas *3:30PM, CBS*
Heart of Dallas Bowl: BYU* vs Southern Miss *4PM, ESPN*
Foster Farms Bowl: Wisconsin vs #25 USC *8PM, ESPN*
Mon. December 28th, 2015
Quick Lane Bowl: Indiana vs Toledo *5PM, ESPN2*
Military Bowl: Air Force vs Duke *8PM, ESPN2*
Tue. December 29th, 2015
Russell Athletic Bowl: #10 North Carolina vs #17 Baylor *5PM, ESPN*
Texas Bowl: Texas Tech vs Texas A&M *8PM, ESPN*
Wed. December 30th, 2015
Birmingham Bowl: South Florida vs Mississippi State *5PM, ESPN*
Music City Bowl: Miami vs Georgia *8PM, ESPN2*
Holiday Bowl: #21 Navy vs #22 Utah *8PM, ESPN*
Thurs. December 31st, 2015
Gator Bowl: Pittsburgh vs #23 Tennessee *12PM, ESPN2*
Peach Bowl: #9 Florida State vs #18 Houston *12PM, ESPN*
Alamo Bowl: #16 Oklahoma State vs #15 Oregon *3:30PM, ESPN*
Cotton Bowl: #2 Alabama vs #3 Michigan State *Semifinal* *5PM, ABC*
Fiesta Bowl: #7 Ohio State vs #8 Notre Dame *8PM, ESPN*
Fri. January 1st, 2016
Outback Bowl: #13 Northwestern* vs #20 LSU *12PM, ESPN2*
Citrus Bowl: #14 Michigan* vs #19 Florida *1PM, ESPN*
Orange Bowl: #1 Clemson vs #4 Oklahoma *Semifinal* *1PM, ABC*
Rose Bowl: #5 Iowa vs #6 Stanford *4:30PM, ABC*
Sugar Bowl: #11 TCU vs #12 Ole Miss *8PM, ABC*
Sat. January 9th, 2016
CFP National Championship: Cotton Bowl Winner vs Orange Bowl Winner *8PM, ABC*
December 24th, 2015 at 4:13 PM ^
December 24th, 2015 at 5:01 PM ^
There has to be a better way to advertise the Bahamas than showing Middle Tennessee vs Western Michigan. There were like 10 people at that game.
December 25th, 2015 at 1:21 AM ^
For real, there was a point scored for every person in the stands. Great for Western Michigan to get their first bowl victory and all but c'mon bowls like this are consistently a bust
December 24th, 2015 at 5:27 PM ^
The Bahamas Bowl is simply a 3 hour long advertisement featuring a college football game.
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December 24th, 2015 at 5:35 PM ^
There was an earlier entry that hit on some of the same points but it is worth repeating one of the good ideas - Make the bowl appearance cost neutral for the schools:
1. Pay for the teams and a limited number of "school officials" to go (pay their hotel, air fare)
2. No ticket minimums for the schools.
This would gut out most of the ridiculous bowls.
December 30th, 2015 at 12:40 PM ^
This is exactly what should happen. I don't care in the slightest if there are sub-.500 teams playing in bowl games. What annoys me is the fact that schools are submitting to a system that rips them off year after year. They have the power in this. If the NCAA would just say this is how it's going to work, that's what would happen.
Unfortunately the NCAA doesn't exist to represent the schools and the athletes, it exists to make money off them.
December 24th, 2015 at 9:50 PM ^
If schools don't want to go to bowl games, they can always say no. Teams going to bowls benefit from extra practices, exposure on national tv, etc, which might help explain why they say yes. Plus, it's nice to have something to look forward to in December when the season ends. The arguement is where you set the line and while people seem upset where it is now, you could argue that since only the four teams in the CFP have a shot at the national championship, all the other bowls are unnecessary. I don't actually believe that, by the way, but since there is something inherently meaningless about all bowl games outside the CFP games, where you draw the arbitrary cutoff for who gets into those meaningless games is less important to me. College football is great to watch and if I get the chance I'll watch.
December 28th, 2015 at 10:20 AM ^
The teams that need the extra practices the most, the true bottom feeders that don't go to a bowl game, are the teams that could use the 15 extra practices the most. Yet, the NCAA, in its usual lack of wisdom punishes them by not allowing the practices. I could see the point if only a small number of teams were going "bowling," but with the large number of teams that now participate in bowl games, the NCAA should allow all teams the extra practices.
December 25th, 2015 at 1:19 AM ^
December 26th, 2015 at 9:08 AM ^
well with some 4-8 teams
December 27th, 2015 at 12:24 PM ^
Well, I know its on my bucket list to own a bowl game... The Flint bowl! Where 3-9 East-West Carolina will play 4-8 South Central Louisiana State University in 2033.
December 27th, 2015 at 1:50 PM ^
December 27th, 2015 at 5:39 PM ^
Worst part is that the B1G picks up the tab for all the wasted tickets that never got sold. Schools should have to eat the cost of their unused ticket allotment. Just another incentive to push for small bowls that are worthless and not even market the seats to the fans.
December 29th, 2015 at 6:40 PM ^
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December 28th, 2015 at 1:18 PM ^
I don't buy the "meaningless exhibition game" or "no losing record teams" arguments. It's another CFB game, just as much fun and reason to watch as early season non-conference mismatches featuring Power 5 teams against directional schools, or any game during the season with mediocre or losing record teams. People don't seem to have a problem with those.
Full disclosure - Nebraska fan here, but always felt this way about bowl games. And we beat the hell out of UCLA. Good luck against the Gators, and GBR!
December 29th, 2015 at 8:48 PM ^
I guess my problem comes with the idea that an appearance in the postseason should be a reward for success in the regular season. It's also been my argument against expanding the NCAA Basketball Tournament to 128 teams or something ridiculous.
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