Aside from the fans, arguably the biggest winners in today’s playoff development are the bowl games.
At one point during the run-up to today’s official announcement of a seeded four-team playoff, much thought was given to hosting semifinals at on-campus or neutral sites, which, while not putting the bowl system on the path toward extinction, would surely have taken away a significant chunk of its relevance.
With the confirmation that six bowls — the Rose, Orange and SEC/Big 12 “Champions” along with three others to be determined — will be in a rotation to host the two annual semifinal games, the current bowl system can breathe a sigh of relief. And, in a statement, that’s exactly the sentiment expressed by Football Bowl Association executive director Wright Waters.
“The Football Bowl Association wishes to congratulate the BCS Commissioners and Oversight Committee on their careful deliberations concerning the future of the college football postseason.
The 35 bowls located in 28 communities and staffed by thousands of community volunteers look forward to working with the commissioners to insure the continued growth of the sport we all admire. The bowls provide a unique postseason experience for student-athletes, fans, coaches and the American public. Today is the beginning of an exciting time in the future of college football and we are committed to continuing the rich tradition of the bowls.”
The biggest threat to those 35 bowls in 28 communities was never going to come from a playoff system anyway, regardless of the hollow threats of reverting to the old system made by those powerbrokers previously part of the anti-playoff crowd. Instead, the threat that should worry the bowl association the most is raising the bar for qualifying for any type of postseason play from six wins to seven.
Raising that bar would mean fewer teams actually reaching bowl eligibility, meaning that some of those nearly three dozen bowls, on the verge of being unable to fill the current 70-team quota with a six-win threshold as it is, could/would find themselves facing extinction simply based on the lack of eligible teams to fill all of the available for the spots. Last season, for example, just 57 teams won at least seven games, which would’ve left six or seven of those 35 bowls on the outside of the postseason looking in.
Incidentally, and relating to the six-bowl rotation for the semifinals, it appears likely that, barring something completely unexpected, two of the other three slots will be filled by the Sugar and Cotton Bowls. That third slot would then involve the Fiesta Bowl among others.
Official announcements on which bowls will be part of the six-venue playoff process are expected to begin trickling out in short order, especially as it pertains to the Rose, Orange and Champions bowls.
The best line: “… the threat that should worry the bowl association the most is raising the bar for qualifying for any type of postseason play from six wins to seven.”
JT: I read the first couple of lines and I knew I was reading your thoughts…ha. When I arrived at the point where you succinctly stated the bowls had nothing to fear from the playoffs, I knew you were on track. I would add that the biggest problem for the bowls (in addition to a possible 7 win requirement) is their own mismanagement and high handed demands upon participating schools (purchase of high priced tickets, junkets for politicians, minimal donations to local charities, etc.), except for the Rose Bowl and Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl.
I am glad the bowl association is getting behind the playoffs. It is the best thing they can do, besides clean up their own act.
I agree the Sugar and Cotton Bowls will be included. After all, teams love going to New Orleans and playing in the SuperDome and Jerry’s World is another world and great stadium.
Greeting to all from the beautiful West Coast, a little north of Los Angeles! It is beautiful weather with a wonderful breeze coming from the Pacific!
Goodbye:
Go Daddy
Fight Hunger
Papa John
Little Caesar
Independence
Armed Services
Poinsettia
Belk
And don’t forget Beef O’Brady
Poinsettia Bowl is usually a half decent game before Christmas, so don’t get rid of it.
whoisedgy:
Great post, thumbs up, way up! We have to laugh at this after all, but there is much to celebrate as well. Maybe I am a little giddy since I worked to see this for so many years and now it is very near.
By the way, have you heard anything about edgy? My sister tried his website and tried an email we found somewhere but wonder if he is still around somewhere but not well?
Wait, I’m confused. Thought the “Champions” bowl was a game between the Big 12 and SEC champions. Has a venue been established for that game? If not, how can that “bowl” be in rotation to host a semi-final game? If the participants have already been established as the Big 12 and SEC winners, how can this game, which has yet to find a permanent home, be in rotation to host a game of teams from conferences yet to be determined?
@southernpatriots
Let’s not forget the Famous Idaho Potato and New Era Yankee!
We’ve got to laugh a little…no?
I took my handle about two years ago after reading many posts by “Edgy”. As I recall, he/she is a big Boise supporter.
@whoisedgy …
No, he wasn’t a Boise fan. He just felt everyone was being unfair to Boise. Anti-Boise Bigots
In other news the SEC has convened a competition committee to achieve the following objectives:
1. Determine how it can fill over half of the seats on the selection committee
2. Create the impression that playing four OOC FCS teams (including a late season game) is a truly challenging schedule
3. Continue to proprogate the myth that the SEC is football’s best conference (despite statistical evidence to the contrary)
4. That the BCS system that resulted in six consecutive SEC champions was fair and unbiased… Oh yeah, a special challenge being the BCS system was just replaced.
@secucks …
Okay, this is the third thread on which you’ve posted that same manifesto. You’re giving me a headache, Kaczynski.
@Deb – Just spreading the word.
@secucks …
You’re a dutiful wackadoodle, Ted.
Remember the old “Poulan Weed-Eater Independence Bowl”? Do you remember how utterly ridiculous the name was?
Well, if you do, Poulan Weed-Eater got what they wanted.
whoisedgy:
I am posting this while waiting in Cedars-Sinai and several here are wondering why I am laughing…ha! Now even with my college football addiction I barely remember the “Famous Idaho Potato and the New Era Yankee”. I think I saw a couple of those?! Though I remember the bowls (barely) I do NOT remember who played…ha.
dmcgrann:
“Poulan Weed-Eater Independence Bowl?” There is no need to get personal here! ha… The Weedwacker Bowl! The Weedwacker Bowl!!! Man, I have never been through such a snow storm in LA as we had in I think around 2001/2000? when the A&M Aggies played the Bulldogs of MS State. What a travel nightmare!
No one in Louisiana knows how to drive in the snow. Friends were driving and what a trip! We decided before the game that we would have divided loyalties, so half of us supported the Aggies and half supported the Bulldogs. By overtime, we all forgot our loyalties and were just trying to see the final plays and figure how we would get out of there! We were going to do some tailgating at this game and during the last days before the game decided against it because our friends in Shreveport decided to take us all to Orleans Restaurant. That was a wise decision. ha. Those are some fun memories.