Bowl games to start the football season?

[OKelleyIrish 1,198]

Bowl games to start the football season? ESPN tossing out some ideas lol. 

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/34263468/bowl-games-start-season-reimagining-college-football-calendar

It included commentary from Freeman...

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman: "It's almost like a preseason game. It's a meaningful game, but to play one bowl game and then you get to your season and everybody fights to get to the playoff, that's interesting. They used to have all those kickoff classics and stuff like that, but to make it a nationwide thing, that's really interesting input."

[FaithInIrish Forever 4,704]

I like it alot. Saves some of the tradition. Avoids the opt outs.

[OKelleyIrish 1,198]

On 8/6/2022 at 1:52 PM, FaithInIrishForever said:

I like it alot. Saves some of the tradition. Avoids the opt outs.

I'd prefer both... 

A few post season so fans can take some vacation time to sunny places during the winter... 

But I'd also love to see some early ones too. Have like 5-10 big 1st week neutral site matchups to kick off the season. 

At this point, aside from the playoffs, post season bowls just don't mean as much anymore. And with the likelihood of an expanded playoffs, will mean even less. If they're profitable, I have no problem with the sheer number, but half of them are pretty cringe-worthy matchups and locations. 

[FaithInIrish Forever 4,704]

Just now, OKelleyIrish said:

I'd prefer both... 

A few post season so fans can take some vacation time to sunny places during the winter... 

But I'd also love to see some early ones too. Have like 5-10 big 1st week neutral site matchups to kick off the season. 

At this point, aside from the playoffs, post season bowls just don't mean as much anymore. And with the likelihood of an expanded playoffs, will mean even less. If they're profitable, I have no problem with the sheer number, but half of them are pretty cringe-worthy matchups and locations. 

Times are changing, I agree bowl games should change with the times. Like an "opener" instead of a starting pitcher in baseball. Teams tried it, now not many are using it. But I think bowl games will also eventually be forced to be creative as things continue to change.

[OKelleyIrish 1,198]

18 minutes ago, FaithInIrishForever said:

Times are changing, I agree bowl games should change with the times. Like an "opener" instead of a starting pitcher in baseball. Teams tried it, now not many are using it. But I think bowl games will also eventually be forced to be creative as things continue to change.

I think we'll continue to see meaningless post season bowls so long as they're profitable. I think the profitability has been in question for a while now (not talking about Covid) for some of the lower tiered bowls. Honestly doesn't matter to me. I can choose to watch or not lol. I pass on most of the garbage matchups. But I'll continue to watch certain teams regardless of matchup. 

It would be nice though to have a more established kick-off week. We've had some nice ones before. This year's first Saturday games are super duper weak. Even the Thursday and Friday games after the first Saturday are weak. 

[Blammm 29]

9 hours ago, OKelleyIrish said:

But I'd also love to see some early ones too. Have like 5-10 big 1st week neutral site matchups to kick off the season. 

They already do this:

Peach Bowl Kickoff (chick-fil-akickoffgame.com)
Allstate Louisiana Kickoff - Sugar Bowl (allstatesugarbowl.org)
College Football Ireland

[jbrown_9999 1,018]

9 hours ago, OKelleyIrish said:

I think we'll continue to see meaningless post season bowls so long as they're profitable. I think the profitability has been in question for a while now (not talking about Covid) for some of the lower tiered bowls. Honestly doesn't matter to me. I can choose to watch or not lol. I pass on most of the garbage matchups. But I'll continue to watch certain teams regardless of matchup. 

It would be nice though to have a more established kick-off week. We've had some nice ones before. This year's first Saturday games are super duper weak. Even the Thursday and Friday games after the first Saturday are weak. 

I think that the bowls are profitable for the bowl organizing committees themselves and ESPN since the schools need to guarantee a certain number of tickets.

The schools have been footing the bill and losing money to go to bowl games so that 1) the football team gets the extra practices 2) the recruiting boost from being in a bowl 3) the ability of school administrators to get a free vacation as they travel to the bowl game to "support the team" and 4) some generation of goodwill from alumni from being in a bowl.

[JTennant 290]

I think this speaks to the inevitable expansion of the playoff. When you have teams not excited to play in the Rose Bowl because it's not a CFP game, there is a culture problem and this solution I believe addresses that issue.

[jbrown_9999 1,018]

It would make attending a bowl game easier to plan if you had months of advance notice of a particular game.

[Blammm 29]

3 hours ago, jbrown_9999 said:

3) the ability of school administrators to get a free vacation as they travel to the bowl game to "support the team"

This one can't be underemphasized.  So many hangers-on that flood the charter flights only to never be seen once they arrive. 

I vividly remember the orthopedists (who were never at practices) travelling for a free week's vacation. They didn't even try to hide it as they all travelled with their golf clubs.

[Blammm 29]

2 hours ago, JTennant said:

I think this speaks to the inevitable expansion of the playoff. When you have teams not excited to play in the Rose Bowl because it's not a CFP game, there is a culture problem and this solution I believe addresses that issue.

If you were going to be a top 10 pick in the draft, would you risk your career to play in an inter-squad scrimmage?  They're not playing for a national title or even a conference championship.

Forbes estimated that Jaylon Smith lost $11.7MM dollars due to his Fiesta Bowl injury. 
After Injury Cost Him Millions, Jaylon Smith Gets $64M Contract Extension From Dallas Cowboys (forbes.com)

Edited August 8, 2022 by Blammm

[OKelleyIrish 1,198]

10 hours ago, Blammm said:

They already do this:

Peach Bowl Kickoff (chick-fil-akickoffgame.com)
Allstate Louisiana Kickoff - Sugar Bowl (allstatesugarbowl.org)
College Football Ireland

Kinda. 

Needs to be a week earlier. 

The kickoff weekend is super lame this year. 

[OKelleyIrish 1,198]

9 hours ago, jbrown_9999 said:

I think that the bowls are profitable for the bowl organizing committees themselves and ESPN since the schools need to guarantee a certain number of tickets.

The schools have been footing the bill and losing money to go to bowl games so that 1) the football team gets the extra practices 2) the recruiting boost from being in a bowl 3) the ability of school administrators to get a free vacation as they travel to the bowl game to "support the team" and 4) some generation of goodwill from alumni from being in a bowl.

I agree on some. 

There are a lot of toilet bowls though which I'm just not sure it benefits any except that particular bowl committee. 

Flipping through some channels last year, the empty stands for some of those games gave me a sadz lol. 

Perhaps they should let NILers fund the crappier bowls. 

[JTennant 290]

On 8/8/2022 at 1:00 PM, Blammm said:

If you were going to be a top 10 pick in the draft, would you risk your career to play in an inter-squad scrimmage?  They're not playing for a national title or even a conference championship.

Forbes estimated that Jaylon Smith lost $11.7MM dollars due to his Fiesta Bowl injury. 
After Injury Cost Him Millions, Jaylon Smith Gets $64M Contract Extension From Dallas Cowboys (forbes.com)

I'm not saying kids are right or even wrong for not wanting to play. I'm just speaking to the facts which are irrefutable. 

And starting with bowl games is an outside the box solution to the problem where NY6 games can't put an intriguing matchup as they would have been able to in the early 90s as not as many players opted out back then. Opting out will have a trickle down financial trickle down effect as they won't be willing to dole out any of their own money unless they're a playoff game. 

My comment has nothing to do with the philosophy of players opting out. I'll never judge someone for making a financial decision that I'll never have the opportunity to make. If you do, you're a fool.