Bowl Season Alternative

[N.FL Knight]

I have two ideas. If it has been proposed before, I haven't seen it.

I am a big fan of the bowls and getting to see my team play another game. I am afraid they are dying a slow death. This is especially true with the playoff going to 12 teams.... How do we keep all of the bowls and the good that they do for their communities and the teams playing?

Idea #1: Move all bowl games to the beginning of the season. Last week in August, first week in Sept.. Tons of excitement kicking off a season and a huge group of teams get to participate not just a handful. I'm willing to bet attendance would be through the roof. Season could end a little later and we get more weeks of meaningful college football.

Idea #2: Make all bowls, the spring game. One game, vs another team, in a cool place over a 2-3 week period. It would fill the spring football "hole" that some other leagues have tried and failed at (because nobody cares). You can tie it to spring break for famillies, etc... I think this would be SUPER cool.

 

[Colonel Mortimer]

Idea #1: you're basically punishing bowl eligible teams by making them play an extra game next season, against a quality opponent no less.

Idea #2: You thought players didn't play in bowl games before? Officially make the game a practice that has absolutely no bearing on the previous or upcoming season.

 

[OtterKnight]

I don't know if it's punishment. Most players like to play football and have opportunities to be showcased.

 

[Colonel Mortimer]

I don't know if it's punishment. Most players like to play football and have opportunities to be showcased.

Are you familiar with the reasons this guy is trying to fix bowl games in the first place?

Are you familiar about why big college schools schedule cupcake games against FCS schools?

 

[OtterKnight]

Are you familiar with the reasons this guy is trying to fix bowl games in the first place?

N.FL Knight's reasons? No. I don't know why he wants to fix bowl games. I assume it's the normal reasons like how most of the bowls are uninteresting with few people in attendance.

 

[Colonel Mortimer]

N.FL Knight's reasons? No. I don't know why he wants to fix bowl games. I assume it's the normal reasons like how most of the bowls are uninteresting with few people in attendance.

They’re uninteresting because the best players don’t play in them unless they’re in the playoff, or they’ve already transferred out in the portal. Players are showing that they don’t value any type of “showcase” these games can provide.

 

[Cubs79]

Just get rid of the bowls and if they are worried about money then just add a week to the regular season, but encourage p5 teams to schedule quality games for the extra game.

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

My solution: Make the bowls interesting.

 

[Cubs79]

My solution: Make the bowls interesting.

There is no way to make them interesting if players are going to sit out, coaches have already accepted other jobs, etc. They are glorified exhibition games, and that's hard to make interesting.

 

[BlakNGoldAllDay]

Have to go back to less games. 6-6 teams don’t deserve a bowl. Make Bowls hard to get.

 

[jt_knight]

Less is more. I would love there to be only about 20 bowl games (all conference champs get an auto bid to a bowl game and any 8 win team is eligible for an at-large berth). Play the first game on Christmas Eve (Hawaii Bowl) and play all the other games between Dec. 27 and Jan. 1st.

I would be willing to bet that attendance would be higher and more players would participate since playing in bowl game would be reserved to teams who had a very good season (which, for many teams, could be a once or twice a decade thing).

 

[UCFloridaTech]

Incentivize team/school bowl victories, not just attendance.

 

[OtterKnight]

Incentivize team/school bowl victories, not just attendance.

Maybe like a bigger payout to the winner than the loser and letting the school keep it rather than having to split it with the conference.

 

[N.FL Knight]

Bowl season is dead as we know it.

-Spring games suck. Why not play a good game? Huge void in football that time of year.

-Season kick off bowls like the chick fil a game are a massive success. Why not have more of those? During the start of a season, when all fan bases are pumped, fans would travel to see their team have a cool match up in a neutral site.

For those of you that see the bowl game as a reward, its mainly rewarding those that are coming back next year as most other guys skip out. Reward the program for a good year by giving them a highlight game to start the next year... I know its different than we are used to but I just don't see how a bunch of kick off classics going on around the country wouldn't be good for football. Heck! That time of year, with good weather, the Cooper Tires bowl in Green Bay would be badass.

 

[Gwoz]

Maybe like a bigger payout to the winner than the loser and letting the school keep it rather than having to split it with the conference.

Giving more money to school/coaches isn't an incentive for players to play bowl games.

 

[OtterKnight]

I know its different than we are used to but I just don't see how a bunch of kick off classics going on around the country wouldn't be good for football.

Call me old fashioned but I prefer to kick off against the worst team in FBS or against an FCS team. These are our long standing traditions in college football. How dare you want to change!!!

 

[N.FL Knight]

Call me old fashioned but I prefer to kick off against the worst team in FBS or against an FCS team. These are our long standing traditions in college football. How dare you want to change!!!

😂😂😂

Don't get me started on playing FCS teams.... Can't stand that either.

 

[80'sKnight]

😂😂😂

Don't get me started on playing FCS teams.... Can't stand that either.

I hated it too, until last year. Now it's a good start, part of the tradition of a great team playing a cupcake, like usf.

 

[80'sKnight]

End all bowl games and schedule a playoff like a real group. If only we had something we could mimic Maybe we could call it FCS.

 

[Guinness_Knight]

Love the Spring idea. Just pay a nice little bonus to the student athletes that play. Problem solved.

 

[Colonel Mortimer]

Bowl season is dead as we know it.

-Spring games suck. Why not play a good game? Huge void in football that time of year.

-Season kick off bowls like the chick fil a game are a massive success. Why not have more of those? During the start of a season, when all fan bases are pumped, fans would travel to see their team have a cool match up in a neutral site.

For those of you that see the bowl game as a reward, its mainly rewarding those that are coming back next year as most other guys skip out. Reward the program for a good year by giving them a highlight game to start the next year... I know its different than we are used to but I just don't see how a bunch of kick off classics going on around the country wouldn't be good for football. Heck! That time of year, with good weather, the Cooper Tires bowl in Green Bay would be badass.

I'm sorry, SEC teams (among others) having to play an extra P5 opponent not of their choosing are not going to see that as a reward.

 

[N.FL Knight]

I'm sorry, SEC teams (among others) having to play an extra P5 opponent not of their choosing are not going to see that as a reward.

You do realize that is exactly what bowl games are, right? An extra P5 opponent not of their choosing.

This would be instead of the current bowl schedule so it’s a zero sum game when it comes to total games played.

 

[Colonel Mortimer]

You do realize that is exactly what bowl games are, right? An extra P5 opponent not of their choosing.

This would be instead of the current bowl schedule so it’s a zero sum game when it comes to total games played.

How could you possibly not see the difference? Bowl games happen after conference play is decided after the playoff is decided. You’re adding a game that would have playoff implications and add significant potential for injury before conference play. As a fan, I’d love it, but major programs would no doubt be universally against it.

 

[N.FL Knight]

How could you possibly not see the difference? Bowl games happen after conference play is decided after the playoff is decided. You’re adding a game that would have playoff implications and add significant potential for injury before conference play. As a fan, I’d love it, but major programs would no doubt be universally against it.

I know it a little complex because I threw out two ideas. The thread then develops and it gets a little confusing.

In one scenario, bowl games would happen in the spring. You reward a program for having a good season by allowing them to make money in the spring and have a great game. (TV partners would pay good money for these games) Please remember that bowl games don’t mean squat today so a spring game not meaning anything is the same thing. Here is a way to make it fun and make more money. A family is way more likely to go in April to go see UCF v GaTech at the Gator Bowl in Jax than the UCF spring game.

In the other scenario, take the kickoff classics and expand the teams that go into them. The time of year alone would expand possible locations. Who wouldn’t want to see us play someone in Green Bay Labor Day weekend? Great possibilities.

Lastly, how can they be “universally” against it? The best P5 teams are precisely who are engaging in these games today! AND they reap the financial benefit of doing so.

You want bowls to mean something? You want the best players playing in them? I’m solving it by putting it in the beginning of the season or as a spring game.

What’s your idea?

 

[Cubs79]

I know it a little complex because I threw out two ideas. The thread then develops and it gets a little confusing.

In one scenario, bowl games would happen in the spring. You reward a program for having a good season by allowing them to make money in the spring and have a great game. (TV partners would pay good money for these games) Please remember that bowl games don’t mean squat today so a spring game not meaning anything is the same thing. Here is a way to make it fun and make more money. A family is way more likely to go in April to go see UCF v GaTech at the Gator Bowl in Jax than the UCF spring game.

In the other scenario, take the kickoff classics and expand the teams that go into them. The time of year alone would expand possible locations. Who wouldn’t want to see us play someone in Green Bay Labor Day weekend? Great possibilities.

Lastly, how can they be “universally” against it? The best P5 teams are precisely who are engaging in these games today! AND they reap the financial benefit of doing so.

You want bowls to mean something? You want the best players playing in them? I’m solving it by putting it in the beginning of the season or as a spring game.

What’s your idea?

I don't see one off bowl games in the spring working. Not sure how many people are going to make plans to sit home and watch those. More neutral sites at the beginning of the year would probably work.

 

[Colonel Mortimer]

I’m all for neutral site games at the beginning of the season. These are not bowl games, though. Teams agree to location, opponent, date etc. Teams will not agree to games at the beginning of the season where they don’t have a say in these things.

 

[rainman614]

Playing in a Bowl game is a reward for the team doing well. I enjoy watching UCF play an extra game, even if we're 6-6. At least we're playing a P5 team this year! Next year will be different because of the expanded playoffs. At 12 teams, it will add 5 weeks to the schedule. While I would prefer 16 teams as it would not add any extra time, just 4 more games to watch the first week. The next round of bias will be how the brackets are made, who gets the byes, etc. etc. My hope is that we do not see repeat performances. I don't want to see a repeat of a Championship Game or regular season game in the play offs.