Nothing is stopping college football’s bowl system, not even COVID
Bowl games could not be killed off by the creation of the college football playoffs, and the coronavirus will not have any greater luck in attempting to bring about their demise.
The 2020 college football season sails over a sheet of melting ice, and while the state of college athletics will suffer enduring effects from COVID the bowl season will remain status quo.
If college football’s season is moved to the spring, there will be bowl games, even if the schedule is abbreviated.
“Yes, absolutely bowl games could [play in the spring],” said Nick Carparelli, the executive director of the Football Bowl Association, in a recent interview in Arlington. “The [directors of the bowl games] are prepared to be as flexible as they need to host their bowl games at the end of the regular season whenever the regular season may be.”
In theory, there could be two 2020 Valero Alamo Bowls. There could be two 2020 FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl Champions ... because one just is not enough, thus offering more proof that when God closes a window he opens a door, too.
The thought (hope?) that the creation of a “playoff” would eliminate college football’s extensive bowl schedule turned out to be as accurate as your local extended weather forecast.
“All 42 bowls are independent of each other but we fully expect they will be able to minimize the impact of this year, because it will be impacted,” he said. “They will be able to come back and function as strong as ever.”
Quit asking how or why, and just go with it.
There are now 42 bowl games. This means of the 130 FBS teams, 84 will earn a postseason trip.
Despite the visual evidence that says the interest level in the bowls games is restricted to five or six, there remains a demand for another game despite the saturation of the product.
Carparelli believes the bowl system will remain intact whenever college football returns, even though the majority of these games are sparsely attended, and tickets are often available for the price of $0.00.
The only way it changes is if you the viewer quit watching football on television — something which has yet to happen.
Even though ratings for many of the games continue to slide, a college football game is still live TV programming, which is what networks crave.
Until the entire system implodes, the only alteration to college football’s postseason will be when the “playoff” bracket expands in six years. The college football playoff has six years remaining on its TV contract.
Carparelli did not say that expansion is happening, but every sign available says the bracket will increase from four to six, or eight, teams. Coaches and athletic directors all believe that this negotiation will trigger another round of conference realignment, which likely means an increased consolidation of power and wealth.
Every other sign says that the second- and third-tier bowls are not dying off, as has been predicted for what feels like the last several decades.
“I don’t think college football is set up to have a big bracket, but it is set up to have a vibrant postseason,” Carparelli said.
That means don’t expect, ever, to see the equivalent of an NCAA basketball tournament.
As the executive director to the bowl system, Carparelli believes the college football’s postseason is just fine. He believes in a system that rewards players and teams from all levels of the FBS.
It is not set up for the college player whose ambition is solely the NFL, but rather the guy who wants to play another game, graduate, and go on with his life.
That was how college football was established decades ago, and it explains why it basically still exists. Change is always slow, especially when those in charge are so vested in maintaining the status quo.
The problem remains the problem, and Carparelli can’t fix it: There are multiple tiers to one “level” of the sport. The creation of the playoff has only made the gaps even more pronounced, as even fewer teams are contending for a national title.
“The bowl system is a great opportunity for student athletes, many of whom are seniors, an opportunity to play one more college football game,” he said.
Ultimately, I can’t argue with that. For most every player, the bowl game will be their last chance to play with their buddies in a game that “matters,” even if the outcome is irrelevant to the overwhelming majority of the public.
The college football postseason is flawed, but nothing is stopping it, not even a global pandemic.
This story was originally published July 22, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
