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What will come of the bowl system (and how could CFB fix it)?

EvilMonkeyInTheCloset

EvilMonkeyInTheCloset

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Feb 25, 2008
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Sort of OT, or I should say, a broader football topic in general, but with the expanded 12 team CFP coming next year, what are everyone's thoughts on how the bowl system will shake out in the coming years?

Will everything remain the same and bowl tie-ins will continue to look more and more ridiculous as out of place teams continue to get paired together?

Will the bowl system die off entirely in the next several years, leaving mid-major programs in particular hurting when it comes to postseason revenue?

And what, if anything, could be done to either save, or dare I say, improve the CFB bowl format?.............


I ask this because I came up with one possible idea to keep bowl games relevant for programs that fail to make the new CFP. Instead of 42 different bowl games..........how about 14?

And teams are divided up into 4 team pods based on an expanded CFP Poll ranking format. No more tie-ins.

Instead, you have a "mini-tournament", with the higher-ranked team hosting a postseason game for the right to play in one of the now-exclusive few bowl games. Payouts are bigger, but tier-based, as there will be 3 different levels of bowl games for the 56 qualifying teams that make the new "bowl tournament" format. Oh and the base number of wins for bowl eligibility is now 7, instead of 6 (with the exception that 6-6 teams will be used to fill out the few extra tournament slots, instead of 5-7 teams).

With all that in mind, how would you all have liked it if this were Iowa's postseason projection for last year?

Tier 2
Sun Bowl Tournament-
#40 Cincinnati (9-3) at #37 Louisville (7-5)

#39 Iowa (7-5) at #38 Marshall (8-4)

-winners advance to Sun Bowl in El Paso, TX

Also, if that doesn't sell you, here are two other examples:

Tier 1
Citrus Bowl Tournament-
#17 LSU (9-4) at #13 Washington (10-2)

#15 Oregon State (9-3) at #14 Florida State (9-3)

-winners advance to Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL

Tier 3
Hawaii Bowl Tournament-
#56 East Carolina (7-5) at #53 San Diego State (7-5)

#55 Western Kentucky (8-5) at #54 Houston (7-5)

-winners advance to Hawaii Bowl in Honolulu, HI
 
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I think that post-season bowls will survive in some form…… a consolation prize to teams that did not make the playoffs, so to speak. Basketball has the NIT; football with a similar post-season “reward” but just one matchup game

I suspect, though, that the number of bowl games may be reduced. In any event, IMO if revenue and profit is to be gained then bowl games outside the playoffs will survive.
 
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I don't think it will change much at all. Bowls will try to place in those top eight spots, similar to the NY6 now. If it's eight teams in the tournament, you will have four bowl games making up the first round and then the national semifinals and the finals after. If it's 16 teams, you would see eight bowl game matchups in the first round, then quarters, semis, finals. The rest of the bowl games continue as usual. The dates of when the "bowls" are played might change to get everything finished by the second week of January, but I don't know that that will even be important.
 
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EvilMonkeyInTheCloset said:
With all that in mind, how would you all have liked it if this were Iowa's postseason projection for last year?

Tier 2
Sun Bowl Tournament-
#40 Cincinnati (9-3) at #37 Louisville (7-5)

#39 Iowa (7-5) at #38 Marshall (8-4)

-winners advance to Sun Bowl in El Paso, TX
Click to expand...
homelander-the-boys-season3.gif
 
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EvilMonkeyInTheCloset said:
Sort of OT, or I should say, a broader football topic in general, but with the expanded 12 team CFP coming next year, what are everyone's thoughts on how the bowl system will shake out in the coming years?

Will everything remain the same and bowl tie-ins will continue to look more and more ridiculous as out of place teams continue to get paired together?

Will the bowl system die off entirely in the next several years, leaving mid-major programs in particular hurting when it comes to postseason revenue?

And what, if anything, could be done to either save, or dare I say, improve the CFB bowl format?.............


I ask this because I came up with one possible idea to keep bowl games relevant for programs that fail to make the new CFP. Instead of 42 different bowl games..........how about 14?

And teams are divided up into 4 team pods based on an expanded CFP Poll ranking format. No more tie-ins.

Instead, you have a "mini-tournament", with the higher-ranked team hosting a postseason game for the right to play in one of the now-exclusive few bowl games. Payouts are bigger, but tier-based, as there will be 3 different levels of bowl games for the 56 qualifying teams that make the new "bowl tournament" format. Oh and the base number of wins for bowl eligibility is now 7, instead of 6 (with the exception that 6-6 teams will be used to fill out the few extra tournament slots, instead of 5-7 teams).

With all that in mind, how would you all have liked it if this were Iowa's postseason projection for last year?

Tier 2
Sun Bowl Tournament-
#40 Cincinnati (9-3) at #37 Louisville (7-5)

#39 Iowa (7-5) at #38 Marshall (8-4)

-winners advance to Sun Bowl in El Paso, TX

Also, if that doesn't sell you, here are two other examples:

Tier 1
Citrus Bowl Tournament-
#17 LSU (9-4) at #13 Washington (10-2)

#15 Oregon State (9-3) at #14 Florida State (9-3)

-winners advance to Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL

Tier 3
Hawaii Bowl Tournament-
#56 East Carolina (7-5) at #53 San Diego State (7-5)

#55 Western Kentucky (8-5) at #54 Houston (7-5)

-winners advance to Hawaii Bowl in Honolulu, HI
Click to expand...
Yeah, we want LSU, FL school, NC school, or CA school to come to Iowa in January (-30, snow, and wind) and play for a trip to a bowl game!
 
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This is an interesting suggestion, and I like that people are brainstorming new ideas on reorganizing the CFB bowl system.

That said, I think most fans and players are looking for "one last game" at a destination, as opposed to a whole series of consolation brackets.

To me, the bigger challenge to the bowl system is the number of draft-bound players who opt out, and I'm not sure this fixes that.
 
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EvilMonkeyInTheCloset said:
Sort of OT, or I should say, a broader football topic in general, but with the expanded 12 team CFP coming next year, what are everyone's thoughts on how the bowl system will shake out in the coming years?

Will everything remain the same and bowl tie-ins will continue to look more and more ridiculous as out of place teams continue to get paired together?
Click to expand...

Replying to you, I say the first couple of years the non-Champ playoff series bowl games will sort of stay the same.

And what is keeping a city and stadium hosting a first round game in the new 12 team playoffs from hosting another slightly less major bowl the next weekend.

Let's say the Rose bowl hosts a first round playoff game (assuming these first and second round games are not at the campus of the higher ranked team) and say it is on Dec. 21st. The Rose Bowl could have another bowl game in one or two weeks and invite say a 9-3 Iowa team to play a 9-3 LSU team.

And believe me the money people, the area businesses, etc will be all for a 2nd bowl game.

But I think after a few years of a 12 team playoff that maybe 5 to 10 of the really lesser bowls will die off. Normally those lesser bowls start playing around Dec. 20th but now that same time perior will be having four, count them, 4 big time quarterfinal playoff games that will be taking all the attention and TV advertising money during the same time frame.

It is not that big of deal if the Boise Bowl goes away as long as it doesnt cost the hawks a game.
 
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Without looking it up, my impression was that the first-round games will be hosted by the higher seed, and the quarterfinals will be hosted by four bowl games. I assume the four losers of the first-round games have places reserved in other bowl games. And would it be asking too much for the semifinals and championship to sometimes be played in Detroit, Indy, or Minneapolis?
 
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EvilMonkeyInTheCloset said:
Is it overextending to play in a CCG, then a semifinal and a NCG?
Click to expand...
Actually yes but it's all about the money so as greedy as all the schools are they'll do it. However your format where teams that are not in the playoff would play 2 games I just don't see working. We're having a harder and harder time finding guys that want to play in 1 meaningless bowl game, and it's a very long season and then you want to try and convince them to play in another one? Just don't see it.
 
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hawkdave007 said:
This is an interesting suggestion, and I like that people are brainstorming new ideas on reorganizing the CFB bowl system.

That said, I think most fans and players are looking for "one last game" at a destination, as opposed to a whole series of consolation brackets.

To me, the bigger challenge to the bowl system is the number of draft-bound players who opt out, and I'm not sure this fixes that.
Click to expand...
This.
 
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I doubt bowls will go away....they are a nice little perk for the teams. Play one more game in a (for the most part) nice and or warm city.

I do think the Rose Bowl should be the National Championship game.
 
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obfuscating said:
Just sayin' in the age of NIL and all, the players could say they are being asked to do too much and need rest... or more money...
Click to expand...
Maybe the players will get paid in this new bowl tournament format, and I just didn't say anything because I wanted to see what people thought of the concept itself, first........................................

;)
 
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hawkdave007 said:
This is an interesting suggestion, and I like that people are brainstorming new ideas on reorganizing the CFB bowl system.

That said, I think most fans and players are looking for "one last game" at a destination, as opposed to a whole series of consolation brackets.

To me, the bigger challenge to the bowl system is the number of draft-bound players who opt out, and I'm not sure this fixes that.
Click to expand...
Maybe contractual N I L agreements have a role here?
 
pistachio1999 said:
The other bowls are dead. Even worse consolation prizes than they are now.
Click to expand...

I don't know about dead. I really get into some bowl games where good teams are actually trying. Top 25 programs or teams that had good years trying to build up.

When programs have a million guys sitting out, they still don't die. TV money will keep driving those games even if nobody really cares.
 
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Hawkfan_08 said:
I don't know about dead. I really get into some bowl games where good teams are actually trying. Top 25 programs or teams that had good years trying to build up.

When programs have a million guys sitting out, they still don't die. TV money will keep driving those games even if nobody really cares.
Click to expand...
But who’s watching? Take the Iowa KY game last year. Nobody from one team playing, another team with the worst offense in college football and nobody in the stands.
 
I actually like OP’s tier and mini tournament idea.

What would add some juice is the “carryover factor” entering the following season.

We all know college football preseason rankings are trash. But they are a thing. Every season starts with an official Top 25 based purely on speculation of so-called experts. Pro sports do a complete reset every year. Everyone is 0-0 on opening day.

If college football insists on keeping bowls and preseason rankings, why not find a way to tie them together?

You win the 24th best bowl, hey, you start next season ranked 24th.

Not a perfect idea. But would give the games some significance beyond hoisting a Cheeze-It Bowl Trophy.
 
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There are currently 41 college bowl games. Does it even need to be said that there are TOO MANY!

The OP has an interesting idea. This seems a bit like an NCAA/NIT approach. The NCAA playoff could be the top 12 teams (similar format to FCS)..11 bowl games. Then you could have a second tier of teams like OP proposed in the "NIT" bracket.

Cuts the number of bowls roughly in half.
 
Just do it like D1AA does.

The NCAA Division I Football Championship provides for a field of 24 teams to compete in a single elimination tournament. Of the 24 teams, 10 conference champions will receive automatic qualifications with the remaining best 14 teams being selected on an at-large basis by the Division I Football Championship Committee.
 
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EvilMonkeyInTheCloset said:
Sort of OT, or I should say, a broader football topic in general, but with the expanded 12 team CFP coming next year, what are everyone's thoughts on how the bowl system will shake out in the coming years?

Will everything remain the same and bowl tie-ins will continue to look more and more ridiculous as out of place teams continue to get paired together?

Will the bowl system die off entirely in the next several years, leaving mid-major programs in particular hurting when it comes to postseason revenue?

And what, if anything, could be done to either save, or dare I say, improve the CFB bowl format?.............


I ask this because I came up with one possible idea to keep bowl games relevant for programs that fail to make the new CFP. Instead of 42 different bowl games..........how about 14?

And teams are divided up into 4 team pods based on an expanded CFP Poll ranking format. No more tie-ins.

Instead, you have a "mini-tournament", with the higher-ranked team hosting a postseason game for the right to play in one of the now-exclusive few bowl games. Payouts are bigger, but tier-based, as there will be 3 different levels of bowl games for the 56 qualifying teams that make the new "bowl tournament" format. Oh and the base number of wins for bowl eligibility is now 7, instead of 6 (with the exception that 6-6 teams will be used to fill out the few extra tournament slots, instead of 5-7 teams).

With all that in mind, how would you all have liked it if this were Iowa's postseason projection for last year?

Tier 2
Sun Bowl Tournament-
#40 Cincinnati (9-3) at #37 Louisville (7-5)

#39 Iowa (7-5) at #38 Marshall (8-4)

-winners advance to Sun Bowl in El Paso, TX

Also, if that doesn't sell you, here are two other examples:

Tier 1
Citrus Bowl Tournament-
#17 LSU (9-4) at #13 Washington (10-2)

#15 Oregon State (9-3) at #14 Florida State (9-3)

-winners advance to Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL

Tier 3
Hawaii Bowl Tournament-
#56 East Carolina (7-5) at #53 San Diego State (7-5)

#55 Western Kentucky (8-5) at #54 Houston (7-5)

-winners advance to Hawaii Bowl in Honolulu, HI
Click to expand...
To start, bowls that are not part of the playoff need to be played BEFORE the "final four", but preferably before, say 12/20. The recent BS of "loser" bowls playing AFTER January 1 cheapened the bowl system to at least a minor degree.
To the bowls that get bounced, have some of those sites alternate in as "neutral site" CFP games, or utilize them as alternate-year bowl sites.
If the NCAA goes wholesale with eliminating bowls, Congress-ttpes will come out of the woodwork. We may not like the apparent incompetence of the NCAA, but having Congress/government involved will be worse.
 
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hawkeyebob62 said:
To start, bowls that are not part of the playoff need to be played BEFORE the "final four", but preferably before, say 12/20. The recent BS of "loser" bowls playing AFTER January 1 cheapened the bowl system to at least a minor degree.
To the bowls that get bounced, have some of those sites alternate in as "neutral site" CFP games, or utilize them as alternate-year bowl sites.
If the NCAA goes wholesale with eliminating bowls, Congress-ttpes will come out of the woodwork. We may not like the apparent incompetence of the NCAA, but having Congress/government involved will be worse.
Click to expand...
I never said anything about dates. Not sure where people are getting this idea of these games interfering with or being later than the later rounds of the CFP.....
 
hawkdave007 said:
This is an interesting suggestion, and I like that people are brainstorming new ideas on reorganizing the CFB bowl system.

That said, I think most fans and players are looking for "one last game" at a destination, as opposed to a whole series of consolation brackets.

To me, the bigger challenge to the bowl system is the number of draft-bound players who opt out, and I'm not sure this fixes that.
Click to expand...
NIL contracts can fix it. Easily.
 
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