If you don’t like the term “exhibition”, then come up with something else. College football has a major problem on this front. Its the only sport at any significant level that does- this impact to their sport where coaches and players opt out either for their next job or to prepare for the pro draft or to protect themselves from being injured for their pro careers. I like the term “exhibition” because it calls attention to the problem and smart people in that sport from university presidents, ADs, NCAA, broadcaster ought to address it. It isn’t good for the sport and they can fix a good portion of it by transforming their post regular season if they have the guts to do it for the betterment of the sport for all.
It was the coaches, agents, and now players and their parents/families/friends that have influenced this current state for all reasons they feel is valid and justified from their vantage points.
The severity of the problem ranges from the 3 tiered post season of:
CFP games - only 3 to date
NY games - non-CFP games
The rest of the bowl games with some degree of variability
Coaches started opting out to their new jobs over the last two decades. We got bit by Briles, Sumlin, and Herman. The the players started opting out with the advent of the CFP games where the bowls didn’t matter as part of that CFP championship.
The answer to solve this that Dana is fully behind is:
Expand CFP to 12 to 16 games inclusive of the top bowl games to fill the slots
Move all other bowl games (or the ones that can justify this transformation) to Kick off Classics in August and early Sep as non-conference games that people are excited about attending and they mean something with the regular season.
Implement non contact of coaches/agents prior to the end of the CCG games in early Dec
Move back signing period a month or so
Possibly get the NFL on board to utilize the CFP expanded format for draft evals and make that known across the sport (probably minor impact) and move back the draft eval process maybe by a month. Possibly hard to do, but time matters.
This problem of Opt Out Nation will continue until this is addressed and it isn’t a good thing for the sport. Make games count more and it will help solve the problem. The bowl games are not being valued by players / families and being a help to their post college professional careers. Until they do again we’ll be in this mode. Hell, I didn’t watch a bowl game at length until the UH vs Auburn game and after that it was mostly part-time for only the better games. If a die hard college football fan like me is only interested in a small percentage, the sport has problems.
Viewership numbers for the bowl games have been good I’ve read, so the games are not
“meaningless”, but fan attendance at all these bowl games looks to be anemic. But all that
matters is viewership. IMO, if someone wants to opt out of ANY game at the end of their
“career” , it’s their business.
I liked the idea of the insurance policy, but don’t see how it would be workable about who
gets a policy and who doesnt. Perhaps the schools have a blanket policy for the entire
team that covers catastrophic in game injuries ? But that would probably have pretty stiff
premium for schools to pay. OTOH, if a school offered that , and it’s allowed by ncaa, could that be
a good recruiting tool ?
I am using the terms “Exhibition” and “meaningless” because obviously the coaches (a long time ago) and now the players have a tiered system of value to the post season with CFP games getting the priority, NY6 to a lessor extent, and the heavy opt out games of being the rest of the 44 or so bowl games. People will watch, but as you point out they aren’t going like they use to and spending their hard earned money as a general rule. The Opt Out experience just is not good for the sport.
When will more schools start declining bowl games? Other than the New Years games and the playoff games most of ghd bowls have few people in the stands. The players and fans are speaking loud that these games don’t matter . But the fans are still supposed to pay for bowl tickets in the worst seat locations and travel to these games to show support. And often during the holidays. Well the last bowl game I went to was the Peach bowl victory over Florida State. I used to never miss. I enjoyed a great view of the action on My Big screen TV in My lounge chair and the beer was much cheaper. Afterwards my wife and I enjoyed a nice dinner out. Yes I was very happy we win and as always will have my season tickets next year. But I no longer will go to bowl games unless we are playing New Years or in the playoffs.
From my vantage point, A&M pretty much did decline the bowl game after understanding they would probably get beat with players opting out and whatever Omicron impact they were experiencing.
I do not like this “Opt Out” culture, but the college football post season is a mess. Hoping the “Opt Out” culture will help force change to transform college post season into something more highly valued and even potentially like March Madness, at least a lot closer to it.
Unfortunately they just keep adding bowl games. How many freaking 6-6 bowl matchups will we have. And without your star upper class men? I use the word star even though these teams are 6-6!
When will the IRS mess start with these NIL deals? When will the free tuition and books be included in this as income for their athletic services? They want me to pay higher and higher taxes while I no longer get tax deductions to supplement these athletes who get non taxable income!
I saw some good crowds at some bowls but agree some not so hot. Seems to depend on team and location. Birmingham was a sellout but Auburn fans could (and did) drive to the game. There are obviously changes that could be made to improve the post season but as long as TV needs content and is willing to pay for it I doubt we see any major alteration or modification.
If you are interested in how significant the payouts are and how they break down see > Bowl Game Payouts: The Cash Paid for All 43 Bowl Games
Nice link! I counted 35 bowls in that article. I wasn’t aware that each conference
got $ 2.43 per game to cover travel.
Each conference gets an additional $2.43 million to cover travel expenses for each game.
Kinda oddly worded, I would expect each team that actually travels to a bowl to get the
money, but perhaps it passes directly to involved schools.
As long as TV eyeballs are there, we will have these bowls, even if fans don’t heartedly attend
and players opt out. I can see bowl game attendance becoming more of a young fan experience, that like the fun of travel during the holidays. As for boosters and supporters, your $$$ are donations and do not entitle you to anything. You support the school and team because you
want to. You buy tickets to bowls and give them away.
And I hope no body criticizes you for quitting on the program because of this. Sounds like you and the players who opt out are in the same mindset. Give everything throughout the year and decide what is best for you in regards to the bowl game.
Not specific to any poster here or to any UH players, but some thoughts.
It seems the term “olds” is common here. Maybe that shows the value systems between different generations with the younger ones being more “me” focused and less commitment or responsibility based to some extent.
I am against opting out as the player made a commitment to play for the team in return for scholarships, room/board, medical care if needed, training, tutoring, etc… This is for any player from star to 3rd string (maybe not a walk-on without all the benefits). Makes me wonder if my nephew should opt out of any front line assignments in the army if he thinks it might be good for a promotion to a higher rank so he does not get shot.
Next the bowl is not the only issue, at what point is it not ok to opt out. Bowls are big for leading into the next season. What about games during the regular season? Is that ok?
I have season tickets to basketball so I’m going to those games. Like this year we were supposed to play Cincy at home in basketball the same day. It’s posters like you that will one day make me quit being a supporter . I used to drive snd fly all over the country to games in LA, Miami, Oregon, West Point, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, West Virginia. LSU, North Carolina, Gainesville, Knoxville, Mississippi State, Louisville, Philadelphia,Michigan, Annapolis. Etc. I even took my wife and daughter to the 2015 UConn football game. My first UH football in person was the 1973 Bluebonnet bowl versus Tulane.
To put it is perspective. I live in Michigan. I am in front of my TV every weekend watching cougar football. If a game is within driving distance, e.g., Cincinnati, I’ll go. Bowls are a different creature, longer travel and more expensive. I am more likely to go to a NY6 bowl, than the Birmingham, or similar level, bowl. I still consider the major bowls special. If we go to a Cotton or Sugar Bowl, I would go.
I feel bowls have reached their saturation point. You’re seeing bowls where the stands are half full. Being mediocre (6-6 is mediocre) should not merit a reward (a bowl.) those of us my age and older remember seeing 8 and 9 win teams, back when 10 or 11 games were played, not get bowl invites. For years, the B1G only allowed one school to go to a bowl.
But as long as the bowls keep making money, they’ll keep having them.
This is where the literal proverbial crap will hit the fan when a top player decides to opt out because his agent told him it’s a wise decision to so, who’s team is in the playoff.
.
I’m not going to stop defending our student athletes who leave on good terms. Jones and Hall did what was best for their careers after giving our school everything we could have possibly asked. Their coaches and teammates support them 100%, so that is a good sign they are stand up guys. I hope that doesn’t make you quit.
The short answer is yes. Their time, effort, health, well-being and labor is ultimately theirs. Not the fans’, or the schools’ or even the teams’.
A player hanging up their cleats after game 5 because he’s been advised that if he takes one more hit it will impact his quality of life physically is making a same risk assessment to opt out and safe guard their future for self-interest as a player trying to protect his draft stock. They have to decide what’s best for them. Now we may not like that. It might be a bummer to not see them play one more time or finish out the season/career but we’re not guaranteed that that they do it nor do they owe it to us or anyone else. And that’s ok.
I’m a season ticket holder in basketball (as well as football) but it would be ludicrous for me to say that Tramon Mark and Marcus Sasser should play throughout the season and not get season-ending surgeries because they owed it to me as a fan or the team because of National Championship aspirations for this year. They have their futures beyond UH to consider.
Who gets to decide which bowl games are meaningless and which ones are meaningful? Was the New Mexico Bowl meaningless or meaningful for UTEP. It was their first bowl game in 7 years. Would any bowl be meaningless or meaningful for Rice which hasn’t been to a bowl since 2014 and counting?
Well this is an… objectively terrible comparison. Just on the basis that signing up for the Army and other armed services means you are not part of the same regular society all this takes place in. Different rules, different expectations, etc.
The topic heading on this thread says the Ole Miss quarterback was injured in a meaningless game. He thought it was important enough to play in so why was it meaningless?
in that article. I wasn’t aware that each conference