All the time we hear that there are too many bowl games. At the major collegiate level in FBS we have 42 Bowl games. What if I told you there is a need for collegiate bowl games at the smaller levels of college football. I am talking about some bowl games for DII, DIII, and NAIA teams. Last night I was watching the NAIA Playoff Bracket reveal and I saw a one loss team did not get invited to the playoffs. Other solid teams were left home as well. Let me say that my expertise is in the NAIA field, but I guarantee you yesterday some deserving NCAA teams were left home too in their playoffs. I think this is something a lot of conference administrators should seriously look at. Especially when talking to their corporate sponsors. Bowl games would improve prestige of the league and benefit the kids.
How much would it cost?
Fun fact, it cost $30,000 to host a NAIA Playoff game, and the NAIA itself shops around their National Championship game rights for $30,000 as well. A lot of misconceptions go around about how much a bowl game would cost at the Smaller Level. Of course major bowl games at the FBS level cost a minimum of six figures (most seven), but this could be done efficiently. I think if perspective sponsors found their right region it could be a huge return.
Who Would Play in them?
I think that the bowl games could really spice things up. You could do NAIA vs. NAIA or DIII vs. DIII, but I think the options are limitless. A lot of Division Three teams and NAIA teams share the same region and sometimes the same city. At times they cannot play each other in the regular season due to scheduling limits of opponents, and conference foes eat up the schedule. This may give an opportunity for crossover games that we wouldn’t see normally.
Your Thoughts
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2 comments
FBS teams don’t need the gazillions they are getting. Every other level could benefit from big corporation money in a way that would change CFB at all levels forever……at a much lower cost to the sponsors. IMO, it’s a no brainer.
You have D3 Teams who are very competitive against NAIA teams (2022 Whitworth (D3) vs. Eastern Oregon University (NAIA) ). I would argue mid/ high-end D3’s would smack on some D2’s. In addition, you have conferences/regions that do not have too many NAIA/D2 Options (WA/OR/CA/ID) but have amazing D3 Competition NWC. If they do have a D2 option the travel schedule is atrocious as they are in the Lone Star Conference — That will weigh on the athlete over time. D3 /NAIA would benefit from a regional bowl game and agree w/ Bob that FBS can spread the love. It’s great to expose the Smaller Schools as an option, bring in some much needed funds to the schools. Showcase, that kids can get a great/diverse experience. Closest thing we have is the USCGA vs. Merchant Marine ESPN 3 w/ Sec Cup. Agree w/ BOB…. If I’m a company looking for Network/Computer Science/ STEM Field Majors.. I’m looking for that scholar-athlete who is competitive, posseses a great degree, and will bring value to my company. I want to promote my business to scoop up that talent, and bring eyes/attention to my service and/or product. It’s also nice to see some “Under Size” talent play the game at a very high /capable level and simply see a different aspect of the game. Not all D3’s / NAIA’s are like this, but there are plenty of schools that are stacked with talent.