Declining Bowl Game Invitations

[fightinfunbags]

 

[BigFin]

All non-playoff bowl games are glorified exhibitions. The best reason to play in them is if you have some type of bowl game streak or are a struggling program who needs a bowl game for morale.

 

[navamind]

All non-playoff bowl games are glorified exhibitions. The best reason to play in them is if you have some type of bowl game streak or are a struggling program who needs a bowl game for morale.

Bowl games are also good opportunities for younger players to get some in-game reps, especially in this era of opt outs. It was fun getting to see what Jordan Marshall could do against a Bama team that was playing their starters. Not only did he play pretty well in that bowl game, but he emerged as a very good RB this year.

 

[Debbie Does]

My college had no football when I was there, and didn't start their program until some years later. It came as a surprise when they got a bowl bid, based on their record. The team voted on it, and turned it down. They thought it was more important to spend Thanksgiving with their families.

There were no intercollegiate stars on the team. No one was going to be drafted into the NFL. Why bother?

Football at MIT was like any other sport. We did it for fun and exercise. We were encouraged to think about "life sports," ones we could play and enjoy for years after graduation. I played serious ice hockey and did big mountain downhill skiing until I was 70. I took up bicycling after graduation, too. Even at top schools, for even elite athletes, that senior year bowl game will be the last real game they play. I'm glad I chose life sports.

 

[redseat]

The school doesn’t actually get NIL money. The players do. Do you know what the fuq you’re talking about?

Sorry poor wording on my part.


Schools get fined and players lose NIL opportunities at said school

 

[Calhoun]

NIL and the transport portals will be what brings down the non-CFP bowl system, at least as we know it. With the money these kids are making, bowl swag bags (stuff like Playstations, earbuds, hoodies, backpacks ect.) are kinda underwhelming. Certainly not enough to tempt kids with pro/transfer aspersions to take the chance of getting hurt. And lets face it, some of the lesser bowls are not exactly in thriving metropolises. Boise in December? No thanks.

Bowl game salary bonuses aside, coaches pushed for a bowl, any bowl, to gain the additional 15 practices bowl teams are permitted. Most saw bowls as not so much a reward for the current year, but as a springboard for the next year. Coaches have been known to install totally new schemes during bowl practice to get a leg up on the next year. Easy to plan for both a bowl and next year when you know exactly who is going to play.

Coaches are going to be far more concerned with retaining their best kids and roster building for next year than they are preparing for/playing the fourth place team from some irrelevant league in a meaningless game. Self recruiting and scouring the "waiver wire" will have their undivided attention. Far more productive use of their time in this day and age.

 

[RobToxin]

Bowls are on the way out anyway.

The playoffs and the transfer portal (not to mention the years and years of players opting out even during the BCS days). Soon, college bowl games will be as useless as the NFL Pro Bowl.

 

[wazzu31]

All non-playoff bowl games are glorified exhibitions. The best reason to play in them is if you have some type of bowl game streak or are a struggling program who needs a bowl game for morale.

Sure but 99% of college football games are glorified exhibition games if you look at it the way Notre Dame does.

 

[Calhoun]

Bowls are on the way out anyway.

The playoffs and the transfer portal (not to mention the years and years of players opting out even during the BCS days). Soon, college bowl games will be as useless as the NFL Pro Bowl.

That's interesting, I didn't realize there were players opting rhat far back. Fournette and McCaffrey are generally credited with starting the trend in 2016. Can you site examples of players who opted out (for other than legitimate injuries) prior to that? I'd like to see how the press reported it. Apparently a much more subdued media response than when Fournette and McCaffrey opted out.

 

[blastfromthepast]

I think BYU would have beaten Notre Dame. Notre Dame isn't very good this year. Jeremiah Love said teams were scared to play Notre Dame. Funny how BYU wasn't...LOL

 

[fightinfunbags]

Notre Dame is terrible for ruining this!

 

[VT_Sandman]

It really should be a playoff for the G5 teams during this time. I rather watch that than Bowl Games.

 

[Hall]

 

[fightinfunbags]

View attachment 416358

Fresno St beat Hawaii 3-0 in the 1941 Pineapple Bowl. Funny tweet but it’s not true.

 

[Hall]

Fresno St beat Hawaii 3-0 in the 1941 Pineapple Bowl. Funny tweet but it’s not true.

damn had to ruin it for me

 

[Hornsstampede2.0]

BOWL OPT OUTS are being exaggerated.

There was only 10 total programs.
9 had very obvious and expected reasons.


(2 teams) Iowa State and Kansas State literally did not have any coaches....like none whatsoever....
They literally were going to have to use celebrity guest coaches if they played.
They made the decision to focus on rebuilding a coaching roster rather than play a very low tier bowl game with no coaches.

(7 teams) These schools were all (5-7) losing season teams that declined a mercy bowl bid at the last minute. They were not opt-outs.
Those programs had already shut down, players entering portal, coaching sharping up resumes.
It is tough when you have essentially shut down operations for 3 weeks, then get a random phone call to bring your (5-7) team to a mercy bowl.
(5-7) have routinely turned down these mercy invites over the last 20 years.

(1 team) NOTRE DAME 10-2
ND Had an intact Coaching roster
ND Was playing in a fairly high prestige bowl versus a prestige opponent for a lot of money on New Years Day

 

[Calhoun]

NIL and the transport portals will be what brings down the non-CFP bowl system, at least as we know it. With the money these kids are making, bowl swag bags (stuff like Playstations, earbuds, hoodies, backpacks ect.) are kinda underwhelming. Certainly not enough to tempt kids with pro/transfer aspersions to take the chance of getting hurt. And lets face it, some of the lesser bowls are not exactly in thriving metropolises. Boise in December? No thanks.

Bowl game salary bonuses aside, coaches pushed for a bowl, any bowl, to gain the additional 15 practices bowl teams are permitted. Most saw bowls as not so much a reward for the current year, but as a springboard for the next year. Coaches have been known to install totally new schemes during bowl practice to get a leg up on the next year. Easy to plan for both a bowl and next year when you know exactly who is going to play.

Coaches are going to be far more concerned with retaining their best kids and roster building for next year than they are preparing for/playing the fourth place team from some irrelevant league in a meaningless game. Self recruiting and scouring the "waiver wire" will have their undivided attention. Far more productive use of their time in this day and age.

Who has declined NIT bid? Full list of teams to opt out of tournament
SmartNews: Who has declined NIT bid? Full list of teams to opt out of tournament (USA Today)

Teams are turning down meaningless, post-season NIT play in basketball for the same reasons they are declining meaningless low-tier bowl games. Oh, and the CBI tournament folded its tent two days ago, because they already knew they wouldn't have enough teams to fill their brackets.

Like I said a few months back:

"Coaches are going to be far more concerned with retaining their best kids and roster building for next year than they are preparing for/playing the fourth place team from some irrelevant league in a meaningless game. Self recruiting and scouring the "waiver wire" will have their undivided attention. Far more productive use of their time in this day and age."

 

[RobToxin]

I realize, again, I have a dissenting opinion from most people.

I'd much prefer a team opt out of their bowl than see one send nothing but third stringer to the Orange Bowl to get beat by Georgia by 60.

 

[Calhoun]

I realize, again, I have a dissenting opinion from most people.

I'd much prefer a team opt out of their bowl than see one send nothing but third stringer to the Orange Bowl to get beat by Georgia by 60.

Not so much an issue fans need to agree/disagree as it is a fact of life in modern day NCAA sports. This is a perfect example of the Law of Unintended Consequences, I doubt many preemptively connected the dots from NIL/portal to the dismantling of other than non-national championship post-season play. Consider it college sports social and economic Darwinism.

 

[Draft Crazy]

@batchaps4me Sent you an invite for CBS bracket.