Networks", NCAA"s push for bowl games allows mediocre teams

Pittsburgh vs. Northwestern Pinstripe Bowl Highlights (2016)

MIke Deeson, WTSP 6:38 PM. EST January 02, 2017

Gator fans left happy after Florida beat Iowa 30-3 in the Outback Bowl in Tampa. WTSP photo

The Rose Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl. Those were the biggies and all that mattered when I was a kid.

A bowl game meant you won your conference, you had an outstanding record. it was something to strive for and really special but that isn"t necessarily the case anymore.

Camping World Independence Bowl; Zaxby National Bowl; Motel Six Cactus Bowl.

Those are a few of the more than 40 bowl games.

Then there is the Nova Home Loans Bowl, the Arizona Bowl, the Capital One Orange Bowl, the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.

In the "60s there were less than a dozen bowl games, but now there are more than 80 slots to fill with teams that may or may not deserve to get a post season birth.

There is the Tax Slayer Bowl, The Chick-fil-A Filet Peach Bowl, the Play Station Fiesta Bowl.

We asked Gene Wygal, who came to the Outback Bowl, if he thinks there are too many.

"I think there are, but it is money for people who might not make it other, Im talking about the schools. You watch if you want and dont if you dont but if someone is willing to pay, why not?"

There is the Raycom Media Camilla Bowl, the Auto Nation Cure Bowl.

And sponsors like Outback and TV networks and willing to pay. For example, like ESPN paid $7.3 billion for the right to televise the college football plays for 12 years.

Outback Bowl CEO JimMcVaysays football is king. "It is real simple. The conferences want more opportunities for the schools and the broadcasters want more college football content."

There is the Outback Bowl, Goodyear Cotton Bowl, Rose Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl ...

Although it is not true with the Florida Gators and the IowaHawkeyes, the insatiable desire to have as many bowl games as possible means there are losing teams in bowl games to fill all the slots. But that doesnt matter to the fans.

We asked Walter and Ashley Joseph if they think there are too many bowl games. "We do not, never too much football you are asking the wrong people, never too much football."

Randy Meyers admitted, " There are some guys 5 and 6 and six and six who are going, but as long as Iowa is going, we dont care."

And the bowl games give the fans a chance to party, the bands a chance to play and the teams one last hurrah for the season -- even youve never heard of the sponsors or dont follow the teams

The TV networks will keep pushing for more and more games. According to Forbes, reality TV sells cable subscriptions and the best reality TV is the NFL followed by college football.

One other footnote, 10 years ago the Football Bowl Association voted that teams should have at least a 7-5 record to be bowl eligible. But, the NCAA with pressure from the networks rejected that.

Source: http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/networks-ncaas-push-for-bowl-games-allows-mediocre-teams/381329969