Bowls are cool and all, but…

[AppleCornCy]

They’re kind of an anti-climactic way to end the college football season. We spend 14 weeks watching the teams play, then they’re off for three or four weeks before going to some random location to play a glorified exhibition game. Anymore, the more exciting matchups on paper are tainted by players opting out.

I wouldn’t mind scraping the whole bowl system and just having tournaments. Just have the playoff and then a few levels of lower tier tournaments for the other teams that are 7-5 or better. Honestly, that would create more TV content and probably be more exciting. Instead of being stuck with the same tie-ins every year, we could end up playing a variety of teams from all around the country. Winning a lower tier tournament would be a huge boost going into the following year. G5 teams could probably get the most benefit out of it because if some program like Troy tears it up in the lower tier tournaments one year and beats a few P5 teams, maybe they get the benefit of the doubt the next year.

 

[madguy30]

I like the idea but are players going to want to play 2-3 extra games after a 7-5 season?

Or would this just be an extension of the spring season and young players get game experience?

Is TV/streaming viewership down?

 

[Cyclonepride]

I just want a tournament identical to FCS (24 teams, top 8 seeds get byes (I think)). Have the bowls on top of that for those who don't get in if you must.

 

[Clonehomer]

I just want a tournament identical to FCS (24 teams, top 8 seeds get byes (I think)). Have the bowls on top of that for those who don't get in if you must.

Agreed. But I’d switch up the bowl system and have those played the opening week of the next year. Then you have a more exciting non-conference season as well. Basically make bowls like the kickoff events they have a few of similar to our game against FSU years back. Then you also open up more possibilities of cooler climate bowls.

So playoffs end the season and bowls kick off the season.

 

[Al_4_State]

Agreed. But I’d switch up the bowl system and have those played the opening week of the next year. Then you have a more exciting non-conference season as well. Basically make bowls like the kickoff events they have a few of similar to our game against FSU years back. Then you also open up more possibilities of cooler climate bowls.

So playoffs end the season and bowls kick off the season.

This is a cool idea. Make it a reward for the teams who went 6-6 or better but didn't make the playoffs, and they get that spotlight a bit early.

That said, I love having these games especially in the week between Xmas and New Year's. Bowls have ALWAYS been glorified exhibitions outside of the New Year's 6. People just started saying the quiet part out loud, and players headed to the draft started opting out.

 

[KnappShack]

I like the idea but are players going to want to play 2-3 extra games after a 7-5 season?

Or would this just be an extension of the spring season and young players get game experience?

Is TV/streaming viewership down?

We can get these teams up to 20 games.

Let's be goddam Americans and play a collision sport half of the year in exchange for that degree!

 

[ClonesFTW]

NIL ruined bowl season. We now watch exhibition games where NFL prospects are sitting out and backup QB's are playing due to transfer portal exodus.

 

[CascadeClone]

Maybe the answer is having less bowls, but also having the teams be able to decline - ie have the players decide if they want to go or not.

That way you don't get a shell of a team with 10 opt-outs, or a whole team that just had a terrible disappointing year, or a coach that bailed for a better job and took half the staff with him. And the whole team doesn't want to be there, be forced to go and pretend to gaf, when they have no interest.

I'd guess 25% of bowl teams, the players and staff just don't even want to be there...

 

[Clonehomer]

We can get these teams up to 20 games.

Let's be goddam Americans and play a collision sport half of the year in exchange for that degree!

Where has the outrage been with FCS?

 

[Clonehomer]

Maybe the answer is having less bowls, but also having the teams be able to decline - ie have the players decide if they want to go or not.

That way you don't get a shell of a team with 10 opt-outs, or a whole team that just had a terrible disappointing year, or a coach that bailed for a better job and took half the staff with him. And the whole team doesn't want to be there, be forced to go and pretend to gaf, when they have no interest.

I'd guess 25% of bowl teams, the players and staff just don't even want to be there...

This is a big reason why I think bowls should move to week 0 of the next year. Wouldn’t be perfect with the teams changing. But the teams will at least want to be there and excited for the spotlight.

 

[KnappShack]

Where has the outrage been with FCS?

Meh. They don't count. They don't make money. Like the XFL. Who gives a rip.

We need top level college athletes banging heads 26 games a year!

 

[beentherebefore]

Fans like to travel to warm locales......like Boise and Detroit. There are some silly bowls. The idea of making them true exhibitions (game does not count against the season record) in the early fall is a cool concept. Not sure if the ship that is college football is ready to make that turn.

 

[AppleCornCy]

We can get these teams up to 20 games.

Let's be goddam Americans and play a collision sport half of the year in exchange for that degree!

If you have three or four 16 team tournaments, the most games that anybody is going to play would be 17, which is like an NFL regular season. I guess it’s possible that somebody could play 18 if they played Hawaii in the regular season and also played in their conference championship game.

Realistically, the teams that play 17 games are mostly going to be in the top tier playoff, and half those rosters are going to end up in the NFL anyway.

 

[Mr Janny]

NIL ruined bowl season. We now watch exhibition games where NFL prospects are sitting out and backup QB's are playing due to transfer portal exodus.

Players were opting out of bowl games before NIL. See Christian McCaffrey, Leonard Fournette, and others. Opt outs, in many cases, are a result of players determining that the chance of injury isn't worth risking, as they prepare for a pro career, aka Breece Hall. Placing the blame for this trend on NIL, is a lot of scape goating.

 

[beentherebefore]

Maybe it should be like this. Maybe with bowls for 7-5 trams and up. But probably not enough money to be earned with a proposal this sound.

 

[KnappShack]

Players were opting out of bowl games before NIL. See Christian McCaffrey, Leonard Fournette, and others. Opt outs, in many cases, are a result of players determining that the chance of injury isn't worth risking, as they prepare for a pro career, aka Breece Hall. Placing the blame for this trend on NIL, is a lot of scape goating.

What's a little interesting is the QB at USC is pulling a bigger check than Purdy. An NFL MVP candidate on a top NFL team is sharing an apartment while a top college QB is in the $2 mil range.

 

[Mr Janny]

What's a little interesting is the QB at USC is pulling a bigger check than Purdy. An NFL MVP candidate on a top NFL team is sharing an apartment while a top college QB is in the $2 mil range.

You're right, it's interesting, but at the same time, that's just the way the world works. Purdy is being underpaid, based on his production against the contract he signed. No doubt about it. Caleb Williams being in a position to cash in on his own position with more lucrative results, doesn't mean he's a better or worse player, or any more or less deserving of the money he's able to make.

 

[HFCS]

Players were opting out of bowl games before NIL. See Christian McCaffrey, Leonard Fournette, and others. Opt outs, in many cases, are a result of players determining that the chance of injury isn't worth risking, as they prepare for a pro career, aka Breece Hall. Placing the blame for this trend on NIL, is a lot of scape goating.

CMC getting 500 yards on Iowa in Rose Bowl wasn’t even his final college season??? Guy is a beast.

 

[KnappShack]

You're right, it's interesting, but at the same time, that's just the way the world works. Purdy is being underpaid, based on his production against the contract he signed. No doubt about it. Caleb Williams being in a position to cash in on his own position with more lucrative results, doesn't mean he's a better or worse player, or any more or less deserving of the money he's able to make.

No, but I half wonder if we'll see higher end guys stay for another year.

My guess is no. Those guys will still want to get past the rookie deal to cash in

But I wonder if a guy like Caleb can now afford to stay an extra year. Not like he isn't earning. Stay another year, get better, and then call his shot in the NFL. Go full Elway or Eli and more or less dictate where he's going to land

This is an era of change.

 

[HFCS]

This is a big reason why I think bowls should move to week 0 of the next year. Wouldn’t be perfect with the teams changing. But the teams will at least want to be there and excited for the spotlight.

European pro soccer is heavily based on playing yourself into the next season’s level of competition and spots in inter-Europe competitions.

There is slightly more roster stability than college sports but still a ton of player and coach movement.