Bowl Talk - Movement ? Shifts ? Opportunities ?

[MeanGreen61]

Thread from the CUSA board discussing article & possible near future bowl shifts. WW did say in the July Ask The Commish that the Sun belt could have a 2nd guaranteed bowl in 2008. Could Mobile or Indy be a possibility ?

Thread

http://www.ncaabbs.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=241772

[GabeGMG]

Indy bowl would be awesome, but I doubt it.

[Eagle1855]

I think bowl movements are important

I also think C-USA has too many bowl tie-ins for a mediocre conference.

[UNTLifer]

I think bowl movements are important

As long as they aren't irregular.

[MeanGreen61]

Interesting comments by Arkstfan.

My two cents for what it is worth.

1. With the number of BCS 6-6 teams left home last year coupled with the extra days in the bowl season thanks to the BCS Championship Game, I think one maybe two new games is highly likely for next year.

2. The bowl organizers are starting to understand that it makes great sense to manage more than one game. It has worked well for the Fiesta (who actually managed three games last year), Orlando, and San Diego. ESPN Regional Sports is managing multiple games but in multiple cities. Combination management works well because your volunteer base is already there, it allows you to bundle up your sponsorship deals and to package your local ticket sales.

3. Some current games will die and will be immediately replaced. If you look at the games out west, you see real problems, there tend to be more games out there than there are eligible regional teams. Hawaii can't effectively draw a crowd from the mainland, as long as Hawaii is in the game they will be OK, but they have to have TV and corporate money to keep anyone going there. The new Poinsettia Bowl will have to get another regional tie. Army is too unreliable. Unless they have a WAC or Pac-10 team on the other side they are going to struggle. The ACC cannot be thrilled with the Emerald Bowl, they can't effectively travel but the lure of a Pac-10 may keep it floating, the ACC surely wants out of Boise ASAP. Just guessing but I think either Poinsettia or Emerald will relocate east of the Rockies, Emerald has the sponsorship but Poinsettia has the organization. Tough call either way. Boise is probably safe simply because the community support has been solid.

4. The CUSA fans are dreaming when they talk of tying to the Independence Bowl. They like their situation with the Big 12 and SEC. I don't see them giving up 7th or 8th from those league for #2 CUSA. If they come up short having a spare team would be great for us because we don't have to send our #1 to New Orleans, we are only required to send A team to New Orleans, if we have an 8-4 or 9-3 champion and the Independence is short, we can send our champion there and send a 7-5 runner-up to New Orleans to face CUSA. The Liberty Bowl contract with CUSA only permits their champion to opt out for the BCS otherwise the Liberty gets first pick of any bowl eligible CUSA team and their Mobile contract requires they get first pick after the Liberty. CUSA at best couldn't make anything other than their third most desirable team available for Shreveport. Houston seems to be teetering. Being last pick Big 12 means being shorted fairly often, again that's not bad for us.