I love bowl games. I always have. I always will. But their time may be coming to an end.
There have been reports that if covid19 limits bowl games ability to take place, or more likely the ability of fans to travel, that many may cease to exist. Yeah, that’ll suck. However, there might be a solution to keep bowl games alive and make the sport even better.
Right now, there is a weird dynamic on the front end of the college football season, with a few high profile neutral site games to kick off the season on Labor Day weekend, mixed in with traditional on-campus games. There is a problem with those on-campus games though, as many fans are away for Labor Day weekend and many schools aren’t even open yet.
I have pushed a 16-team playoff for years at the ultimate future of college football. That vision includes a 13-game regular season and just a handful of postseason bowls. Ultimately, the number of postseason games need to be reduced dramatically in any timeline for any future.
For the postseason to matter, there needs to only be about 30-40 teams participating. Either 16 teams in a playoff with another 20 playing in 10 bowl games, or the current 4 team playoff with about 15 bowl games -- the New Year’s Six and about 10 other bowl games.
Neither of those scenarios would prevent the biggest financial bonanza possible for college football: everyone plays a bowl game over Labor Day Weekend!
So Much More Money
Right now, conferences only get paid when teams reach 6 wins and participate for a bowl game. And for most teams, that’s winning 6, or 7, or 8 games, their fans are not exactly lining up to plunk down hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on short notice to watch an exhibition game. When there were only a small number of bowls, it made more sense because teams were being rewarded for a great season. Today, a 6-6 season isn’t great.
But in week 1, when everyone is 0-0, hope springs eternal for every team. I’m a UConn football fan. I know the team sucks, and has sucked, for the past decade since the disastrous hire of Paul Pasqualoni that killed the program. Still, I get excited for that first game of the year. Multiple that by 65!
There are 130 FBS teams. Every single one should play a neutral site bowl game on Labor Day weekend. 65 games. Could you even?
For conferences, especially like the SEC and Big Ten, the money would be astronomical. You get to deliver 14 teams each and every year to neutral sites. You can guarantee great ticket sales. Cities and stadiums will be lining up around the block for the opportunity.
Plan the Games in January
One of the underrated aspects in the decline of bowl games is how the college football calendar has changed. In the “glory days'' of bowl games, teams learned of the destinations in mid-November, giving fans nearly two full months to make plans. Today, every bowl game, with the exception of the Bahamas Bowl and maybe where BYU plays, isn’t decided until the first Sunday in December. For games before Christmas, that gives fans only a mere couple of weeks to make plans. Even for New Year’s Day games, that’s only a month.
Imagine a world where fans have 9 months to make plans. That would happen if games were announced for Labor Day weekend after the college football season ends in early January. That would also give college football a jolt of energy to keep momentum after the title game, and provide a bridge to spring camps opening and dramatically increase excitement.
Think about Georgia, coming off of a Sugar Bowl win, knowing that its season will now start in New York City versus Ohio State? Do you think that would get people talking, or nah?
The Possibilities!
The Las Vegas Bowl, moving forward, will pit the SEC and the Pac-12. Though it won’t be Alabama vs Oregon or Florida vs USC, it’ll be two middle of the pack teams in a half-empty NFL stadium.
Over Labor Day weekend? It can be Alabama vs Oregon or Florida vs USC. Think of any potential matchup, anywhere in the country, and it’s now possible. Top level Group of Five teams like UCF and Boise State, could be in demand for more high profile games. Dormant programs like Nebraska and Tennessee could see its profile raised for a big game to kick off the season.
Furthermore, games can be played across the country, and not just in warm weather locations. Envision Ohio State vs Georgia in New York City. Michigan vs Oklahoma in Chicago.
There can also be a nice mix of regional games for the lower end schools, either in the Group of Five or Power Five, that have fan bases that would drive to see their teams, but maybe not fly.
Take a moment right now to look over the 130 FBS teams and make some matchups in your head. Wouldn’t this be amazing?
Better Games for Determining Playoff Teams
Whether the playoff is four teams, eight teams, or 16 teams, the biggest problem in the sport is that not every team challenges itself out of conference. Some play multiple games against top teams. Some play none. Because schedules are set so far in advance, that some games look good on paper and by the time kickoff rolls around, it means nothing. When Oklahoma signed to play UCLA the past two years, I doubt they thought theyd be using their one marquee non-conference game on the worst UCLA teams in modern history.
Every team gets a game on Labor Day weekend, so there’s no need to for advanced scheduling. You find out your game in January.
That also alleviates the push and pull between neutral site and on-campus games. Athletic directors now have the neutral site option set for them, with a truckload of money, so they can focus on more traditional schedule making and keep all the other games on campus.
A True Kickoff to College Football Season
It would be impossible and foolish for all these games to take place on the Saturday of Labor Day, and that’s fine. Start the games on Thursday night and play them constantly through Labor Day night. Forget about having just one or two games on that Sunday or Monday - let’s have full slates.
Let’s get rid of FCS cupcakes on that Thursday and Friday, and load the schedule with big games with big teams in front of big crowds. You know, when we're able to do that again.
College football once foolishly tried to take over New Year’s Eve. They failed miserably. They just choose the wrong holiday. Take over Labor Day weekend -- the last one without the NFL -- and claim the spotlight.
How Would This Work?
In reality, this plan is far less insane than it may seem at first.
Step one: Every team clears out its Labor Day games for the future. Every team knows it’ll be playing somewhere that weekend. The start date for this would most realistically be Labor Day weekend 2022, though 2021 is certainly feasible depending on how covid19 impacts the 2020 season.
Step two: Current bowl games, stadium operators, and conferences gather to determine potential matchups and payouts. Stadiums could definitely host two games over the weekend, as Atlanta has done with its Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic.
Step three: Negotiate with all the networks. CBS. ESPN/ABC. NBC. Fox. Streaming? TNT? The possibilities are endless. These games would set off a bidding frenzy since they would all fall outside conference TV deals.
Step four: Profit. Have the games start Thursday night and run all day, every day, through Monday night.
Step five: Enjoy. What a world we could live in if this happened, no?
Follow me on Twitter
There have been reports that if covid19 limits bowl games ability to take place, or more likely the ability of fans to travel, that many may cease to exist. Yeah, that’ll suck. However, there might be a solution to keep bowl games alive and make the sport even better.
I have pushed a 16-team playoff for years at the ultimate future of college football. That vision includes a 13-game regular season and just a handful of postseason bowls. Ultimately, the number of postseason games need to be reduced dramatically in any timeline for any future.
For the postseason to matter, there needs to only be about 30-40 teams participating. Either 16 teams in a playoff with another 20 playing in 10 bowl games, or the current 4 team playoff with about 15 bowl games -- the New Year’s Six and about 10 other bowl games.
Neither of those scenarios would prevent the biggest financial bonanza possible for college football: everyone plays a bowl game over Labor Day Weekend!
So Much More Money
Right now, conferences only get paid when teams reach 6 wins and participate for a bowl game. And for most teams, that’s winning 6, or 7, or 8 games, their fans are not exactly lining up to plunk down hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on short notice to watch an exhibition game. When there were only a small number of bowls, it made more sense because teams were being rewarded for a great season. Today, a 6-6 season isn’t great.
But in week 1, when everyone is 0-0, hope springs eternal for every team. I’m a UConn football fan. I know the team sucks, and has sucked, for the past decade since the disastrous hire of Paul Pasqualoni that killed the program. Still, I get excited for that first game of the year. Multiple that by 65!
There are 130 FBS teams. Every single one should play a neutral site bowl game on Labor Day weekend. 65 games. Could you even?
For conferences, especially like the SEC and Big Ten, the money would be astronomical. You get to deliver 14 teams each and every year to neutral sites. You can guarantee great ticket sales. Cities and stadiums will be lining up around the block for the opportunity.
Plan the Games in January
One of the underrated aspects in the decline of bowl games is how the college football calendar has changed. In the “glory days'' of bowl games, teams learned of the destinations in mid-November, giving fans nearly two full months to make plans. Today, every bowl game, with the exception of the Bahamas Bowl and maybe where BYU plays, isn’t decided until the first Sunday in December. For games before Christmas, that gives fans only a mere couple of weeks to make plans. Even for New Year’s Day games, that’s only a month.
Imagine a world where fans have 9 months to make plans. That would happen if games were announced for Labor Day weekend after the college football season ends in early January. That would also give college football a jolt of energy to keep momentum after the title game, and provide a bridge to spring camps opening and dramatically increase excitement.
Think about Georgia, coming off of a Sugar Bowl win, knowing that its season will now start in New York City versus Ohio State? Do you think that would get people talking, or nah?
The Possibilities!
The Las Vegas Bowl, moving forward, will pit the SEC and the Pac-12. Though it won’t be Alabama vs Oregon or Florida vs USC, it’ll be two middle of the pack teams in a half-empty NFL stadium.
Furthermore, games can be played across the country, and not just in warm weather locations. Envision Ohio State vs Georgia in New York City. Michigan vs Oklahoma in Chicago.
There can also be a nice mix of regional games for the lower end schools, either in the Group of Five or Power Five, that have fan bases that would drive to see their teams, but maybe not fly.
Take a moment right now to look over the 130 FBS teams and make some matchups in your head. Wouldn’t this be amazing?
Better Games for Determining Playoff Teams
Whether the playoff is four teams, eight teams, or 16 teams, the biggest problem in the sport is that not every team challenges itself out of conference. Some play multiple games against top teams. Some play none. Because schedules are set so far in advance, that some games look good on paper and by the time kickoff rolls around, it means nothing. When Oklahoma signed to play UCLA the past two years, I doubt they thought theyd be using their one marquee non-conference game on the worst UCLA teams in modern history.
Every team gets a game on Labor Day weekend, so there’s no need to for advanced scheduling. You find out your game in January.
That also alleviates the push and pull between neutral site and on-campus games. Athletic directors now have the neutral site option set for them, with a truckload of money, so they can focus on more traditional schedule making and keep all the other games on campus.
A True Kickoff to College Football Season
It would be impossible and foolish for all these games to take place on the Saturday of Labor Day, and that’s fine. Start the games on Thursday night and play them constantly through Labor Day night. Forget about having just one or two games on that Sunday or Monday - let’s have full slates.
Let’s get rid of FCS cupcakes on that Thursday and Friday, and load the schedule with big games with big teams in front of big crowds. You know, when we're able to do that again.
College football once foolishly tried to take over New Year’s Eve. They failed miserably. They just choose the wrong holiday. Take over Labor Day weekend -- the last one without the NFL -- and claim the spotlight.
How Would This Work?
In reality, this plan is far less insane than it may seem at first.
Step one: Every team clears out its Labor Day games for the future. Every team knows it’ll be playing somewhere that weekend. The start date for this would most realistically be Labor Day weekend 2022, though 2021 is certainly feasible depending on how covid19 impacts the 2020 season.
Step two: Current bowl games, stadium operators, and conferences gather to determine potential matchups and payouts. Stadiums could definitely host two games over the weekend, as Atlanta has done with its Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic.
Step three: Negotiate with all the networks. CBS. ESPN/ABC. NBC. Fox. Streaming? TNT? The possibilities are endless. These games would set off a bidding frenzy since they would all fall outside conference TV deals.
Step four: Profit. Have the games start Thursday night and run all day, every day, through Monday night.
Step five: Enjoy. What a world we could live in if this happened, no?
Follow me on Twitter
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete