MWC Bowl Idea

[OrediggerPoke]

I figured I would share the idea that I have been coming up with as to how the MWC addresses its bowl problem. As some of you may or may not know, next year is the last year with the MWC tie-in to the current 'Vegas Bowl'. The Vegas Bowl will be moving to the Raiders new stadium and will pit the Pac-12 vs. the SEC. After that these will be the only bowl tie-ins for the MWC unless something changes: New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque), Potato Bowl (Boise), Arizona Bowl (Tucson) and Hawaii Bowl (Hawaii).

This is a really sad and concerning landscape for the fate of MWC football!

My suggestion is this if someone gave me a magic wand. I would create a novel concept of a 2 for 1 bowl package in Vegas on the same day and perhaps at Sam Boyd Stadium(i.e. the MWC has 2 bowl tie-ins in Vegas with every person that buys a ticket gaining access to both games similar to the NCAA basketball tournament). This would create a unique all day football event and would be a positive for the MWC because likely the fans from the MWC schools that stick around and watch both games will be rooting for the MWC teams. Vegas travel is pleasant, simple and relatively cheap for just about the entire United States. This also solves the issue of being at least 2 bowl games short moving forward.

[laxwyo]

That is a pretty good idea and unique. 4 teams and their fans there for 2 games.

[Coeur d' Alene]

Really good idea. Double the fans for both games for the most part.

Mwc needs to lead the way with an in conference playoff structure. With or without doing it with the American what would happen is the strength of schedule would strengthen and in a case like Wyoming this year it would allow for teams improving the most to change their season around

[Cornpoke]

I'd wave a magic wand and get rid of all the bowls. Implement a 16 team playoff taking every conference champion and 6 at large spots for additional P5 teams(plus Notre Dame) and the highest ranking G5 who didn't win their conference. Tell me that wouldn't be exciting.

[Pokes fan 24-7]

I'd wave a magic wand and get rid of all the bowls. Implement a 16 team playoff taking every conference champion and 6 at large spots for additional P5 teams(plus Notre Dame) and the highest ranking G5 who didn't win their conference. Tell me that wouldn't be exciting.

Realistically they would never include all G5 champs. It would prob have to be something like the 5 P5 conference champions, the 2 highest ranked G5 conference champs and then the 9 highest ranked at large spots. Even this would be a huge improvement in my opinion.

[laxwyo]

Or 8 team playoff and call the conference championships part of the playoff. Your conference tougher than others? Tough poop, that’s what you get for hogging all the revenue.

[OrediggerPoke]

I'd wave a magic wand and get rid of all the bowls. Implement a 16 team playoff taking every conference champion and 6 at large spots for additional P5 teams(plus Notre Dame) and the highest ranking G5 who didn't win their conference. Tell me that wouldn't be exciting.

There will be an expanded playoff, unfortunately it won’t be anything like this. Too much money at stake and the power conference schools do not desire to share that revenue. That said, bowl games for non-playoff teams aren’t (also too much money at stake) and shouldn’t go away.

What is at risk are bowl games for G5 teams. This is why it is imperative the conference get out in front of the issue rather than attempt to react when it’s too late (although that doesn’t seem to be the case and I have zero confidence in Craig Thompson).

[WyoBrandX]

I've thought that we should have a floating bowl game that defaults to Denver, but if any of the front range schools end up in it, have the option to have it at home. That should help keep attendance high.

[WestWYOPoke]

Still feel that the best expansion (as of right now) would be 8-teams. Champs of ACC, Big Ten, Big XII, PAC-12 and SEC get in. Top rated G5 conference champion. Leaves 2 spots for at-large/Notre Dame.

What's that, you were #9 and didn't get in over a G5 team? Guess you should have won your conference.

[307bball]

I'm so jaded by the conference re-alignment chaos of the last 10 or so years. I'm not confident that the big changes in college football will ever break for UW or schools like UW. As much as I dis-like CSU, UNM, AFA, and USU on the field I'm beginning to realize that what hurts one of them tends to hurt all of them. In football it feels like the conference competitive balance and title chase is valuable, and the MWC is constantly being backed into the corner and pushed around by the more nationally appealing conferences. I don't particularly like "the hair" any more than the next guy, but is there something obvious that he could do or have done that won't get rendered null by the moves of ESPN and P5?

Just feels like the trajectory right now is that G5 schools will just keep slipping in relevance in relation to P5 programs.

[Asmodeanreborn]

Could also do 12 teams and have byes for the top 4.

[OrediggerPoke]

I don't particularly like "the hair" any more than the next guy, but is there something obvious that he could do or have done that won't get rendered null by the moves of ESPN and P5?

Yes. He doesn't need ESPN or the P5 to create post-season opportunities in football. This is the point of my bowl idea, it is outside the box thinking that provides the MWC with additional 'tie-ins' that could turn out very successful.

Issue: Bowl games are often in front of empty stadiums.
Solution: 4 teams, 2 games and 1 ticket likely to lead to a packed house

Issue: The MWC will be short at least 2 post season opportunities after 2019
Solution: Create 'new' games in a desirable location such as Las Vegas

Issue: Bowl games sometimes are not well attended due to location and travel difficulties
Solution: Schedule the games in Vegas on a day that people may be able to travel (i.e. the saturday after Christmas)

Issue: ESPN dictates where teams play during bowl season.
Solution: To hell with ESPN. Reach agreement with any other myriad of entities that would love to show college football in December. As part of the agreement, have specific requirements as to how the teams playing will be selected. Could be as simple as the MWC championship game winner and loser qualifies for the 2 bowl games in Vegas.


...it really isn't hard. I honestly don't understand how Craig Thompson and his office spend their time because it sure as hell isn't being proactive.

[OrediggerPoke]

Could also do 12 teams and have byes for the top 4.

You could debate different ways to hold the college football playoff all-day. The reality is that the MWC will be on the outside looking in regardless as to how the playoffs ultimately shake out. Yes, the college football playoff is bound to increase there is no doubt about that. But there is ZERO incentive for the P5 programs to create an inclusive system that actually gives G5 programs a fair shot (noone gives away money that they could otherwise realize for themselves - - it is how the world works). Sure eventually the G5 might get one 'token' participant. But the reality is that whatever is available for the G5 will be crumbs and conferences like the MWC must be innovative and proactive to have any chance at any relevance or national interest in college football.

My idea - to hell with the system and do something new and innovative such as the 2 for 1 Vegas idea. You never know, it could turn out to be an overwhelming success. It could also turn out to be a dud but at least they tried something.

[307bball]

Could also do 12 teams and have byes for the top 4.

You could debate different ways to hold the college football playoff all-day. The reality is that the MWC will be on the outside looking in regardless as to how the playoffs ultimately shake out. Yes, the college football playoff is bound to increase there is no doubt about that. But there is ZERO incentive for the P5 programs to create an inclusive system that actually gives G5 programs a fair shot (noone gives away money that they could otherwise realize for themselves - - it is how the world works). Sure eventually the G5 might get one 'token' participant. But the reality is that whatever is available for the G5 will be crumbs and conferences like the MWC must be innovative and proactive to have any chance at any relevance or national interest in college football.

My idea - to hell with the system and do something new and innovative such as the 2 for 1 Vegas idea. You never know, it could turn out to be an overwhelming success. It could also turn out to be a dud but at least they tried something.

I hear you Oredigger...and you do raise some interesting ideas. I don't think it is as easy as just decree-ing "let there be a 2 for 1 bowl game in Vegas" and then just watch as money and recognition rain from the sky. The problem with G5 institutions creating their own system is that it re-enforces the concept that we don't belong with the big boys...and maybe we dont! The landscape of college football has always tilted toward the powerful conferences but that tilt is damn near vertical nowadays. Even within P5 conferences there is a haves/have nots situation going on.

As a Pokes football fan, I want to watch them play one more game and see guys like Wingard, Granderson, Epps, etc suit up once more. As a fan of UW athletics i think the challenge is staying relevant with the landscape of college football. Even as I write this, part of me wants the AD's of the G5 schools to blow it up and create their own deal...so much risk though...people always seem to stay with the devil they know.

[Asmodeanreborn]

If the NCAA actually cracked down on boosters paying players, maybe the landscape would be somewhat more even.

[Pokes fan 24-7]

Could also do 12 teams and have byes for the top 4.

You could debate different ways to hold the college football playoff all-day. The reality is that the MWC will be on the outside looking in regardless as to how the playoffs ultimately shake out. Yes, the college football playoff is bound to increase there is no doubt about that. But there is ZERO incentive for the P5 programs to create an inclusive system that actually gives G5 programs a fair shot (noone gives away money that they could otherwise realize for themselves - - it is how the world works). Sure eventually the G5 might get one 'token' participant. But the reality is that whatever is available for the G5 will be crumbs and conferences like the MWC must be innovative and proactive to have any chance at any relevance or national interest in college football.

My idea - to hell with the system and do something new and innovative such as the 2 for 1 Vegas idea. You never know, it could turn out to be an overwhelming success. It could also turn out to be a dud but at least they tried something.

I hear you Oredigger...and you do raise some interesting ideas. I don't think it is as easy as just decree-ing "let there be a 2 for 1 bowl game in Vegas" and then just watch as money and recognition rain from the sky. The problem with G5 institutions creating their own system is that it re-enforces the concept that we don't belong with the big boys...and maybe we dont! The landscape of college football has always tilted toward the powerful conferences but that tilt is damn near vertical nowadays. Even within P5 conferences there is a haves/have nots situation going on.

As a Pokes football fan, I want to watch them play one more game and see guys like Wingard, Granderson, Epps, etc suit up once more. As a fan of UW athletics i think the challenge is staying relevant with the landscape of college football. Even as I write this, part of me wants the AD's of the G5 schools to blow it up and create their own deal...so much risk though...people always seem to stay with the devil they know.

I wouldn't be against a G5 playoff. We could take the conference champs and top three at large. It might be fun. You would get more interesting match ups than most bowl games but you could still keep bowl tie ins for winning schools that don't make the tourney. You can't tell me Fresno vs Memphis or Bosie vs UCF would not be entertaining. Schools could still be eligible for the CFP if somebody actually made it.

[307bball]

If the NCAA actually cracked down on boosters paying players, maybe the landscape would be somewhat more even.

Yup...what they say they are against/for and what they are willing to enforce are wildly divergent.

[ragtimeJOE]

College football follows money. Money follows sponsors. I don't know the financial details of every bowl, but my guess is that most wouldn't work without significant sponsor dollars. Thus, unless we are willing to pay to play, then what is the motivation for sponsors to finance new bowls? The reason espn has so many bowls is that they can get sponsors by offering various advertisement exposure. You'll hear the xyz bowl several times on the network leading up to the event and countless times during the event.

The G5 ranks doesn't carry enough weight to entice large levels of sponsorship otherwise our TV deals would be better.

At the end of the day, what we have now is probably the best it will be. Sure there might be a new bowl game or taking of another bowl but it will be mostly a lateral move at best. A G5 playoff would garner nearly as much money, exposure, and interest as the FCS playoffs.

Sucks, but it is what it is. We should try to negotiate to have the NCAA help with scheduling and expand the playoff. Expanding the playoff reduces focus on SOS. If every P5 had a slot + there were a few at large bids, SOS becomes less important. You want a seat at the big boy table, play and beat big boys in OOC. NCAA needs to help facilitate that.

[OrediggerPoke]

College football follows money. Money follows sponsors. I don't know the financial details of every bowl, but my guess is that most wouldn't work without significant sponsor dollars. Thus, unless we are willing to pay to play, then what is the motivation for sponsors to finance new bowls? The reason espn has so many bowls is that they can get sponsors by offering various advertisement exposure. You'll hear the xyz bowl several times on the network leading up to the event and countless times during the event.

The G5 ranks doesn't carry enough weight to entice large levels of sponsorship otherwise our TV deals would be better.

At the end of the day, what we have now is probably the best it will be. Sure there might be a new bowl game or taking of another bowl but it will be mostly a lateral move at best. A G5 playoff would garner nearly as much money, exposure, and interest as the FCS playoffs.

Sucks, but it is what it is. We should try to negotiate to have the NCAA help with scheduling and expand the playoff. Expanding the playoff reduces focus on SOS. If every P5 had a slot + there were a few at large bids, SOS becomes less important. You want a seat at the big boy table, play and beat big boys in OOC. NCAA needs to help facilitate that.

Very reasonable take. Continue to eat the scraps that we have now and ensure survival. I say F*** it, live well or die trying.

[ragtimeJOE]

or die trying.

Exactly what is happening. We (G5) are on our last breath of relevancy. I'm all for message board rah rah, but there is a little b!#ch called reality.

UCF undefeated for 2 straight years and never sniffed a playoff spot. It aint happening. The only chance to gain relevancy is to play and beat the big boys. We have 4 OOC games to do it. With NCAA help we can get 2 home and 2 away. If you can't beat 4 P5 teams and win a G5 conference, you don't have room to bitch about anything.