Bowl eligibility observations

[JesseMartin]

So there are 35 bowls for 70 teams, right?

As of right now there are 58 teams that are bowl eligible. Another 15 are only 1 win away from eligibility (I think...didn't check to see how many had 2 FCS wins), and that doesn't count the ones that need 2 or 3 more but have a cushy schedule that will probably get them there.

There will obviously be shuffling due to some conferences having more teams than slots and others not being able to fill all of theirs. But it stands to reason that for some conferences (like CUSA), 7 or 8 wins may be necessary to get a spot unless you're in a great location for a local bowl if you have a 6-6 record.

As long as we win the next 2, we'll definitely be safe, but for the other CUSA teams there is a good chance that some will be eligible but left out of bowl season. This of course means less money for us when we split the pot.

So unless something weird happens and a bunch of teams on the cusp lose out, UTSA probably won't be getting a shot. FAU would also seem unlikely to fill in. La Tech, who knows, because the NO Bowl may still want them at 6-6 over a non-Louisiana team with a better record.

Any other thoughts?

[Cerebus]

Any other thoughts?

The bowls aren't a free for all. Conferences have placement agreements with bowl games.

CUSA has six bowl agreements. Six teams in CUSA will get bowl bids if they get to six wins. There are already six teams with six wins.

There is almost zero chance UTSA gets a bowl invite because there will be ~75-77 eligible teams.

[greenminer]

There is almost zero chance UTSA gets a bowl invite because there will be ~75-77 eligible teams.

I think another question should be asked: are there any bowl committee people that want UTSA in? I want to assume that everyone outside of UTSA wants to provisional program to wait their turn, but have no idea.

[JesseMartin]

The bowls aren't a free for all. Conferences have placement agreements with bowl games.

CUSA has six bowl agreements. Six teams in CUSA will get bowl bids if they get to six wins. There are already six teams with six wins.

Some of the projections are based on some conferences not having enough teams though...and there's a good chance that will happen. I agree that UTSA won't have a shot anymore (again, unless all of those 5-win teams somehow fall short). But I do wonder if there will be some bouncing around that will allow us to get an extra bowl team or two.

I think another question should be asked: are there any bowl committee people that want UTSA in? I want to assume that everyone outside of UTSA wants to provisional program to wait their turn, but have no idea.

Unless a bowl in Houston or San Antonio wasn't able to fill a spot from one of its conference selections, I don't really think any of the committees care about them right now.

[UNTexas]

I don't really care about UTSA's bowl prospects. What thought process are they basing the bowl projections for Conference USA as a whole and specifically UNT is what interests me. Outside of the Liberty Bowl of course. That's a no brainer.

[oldguystudent]

I only care about one thing. We haven't been bowl eligible for nine years, so let's not be LA Tech and screw up a bid in hopes of getting something sexier. Just go, and just win.

[LongJim]

Some of the projections are based on some conferences not having enough teams though...and there's a good chance that will happen. I agree that UTSA won't have a shot anymore (again, unless all of those 5-win teams somehow fall short). But I do wonder if there will be some bouncing around that will allow us to get an extra bowl team or two.

I think if CUSA had a couple of Top 25-types, then yeah, an extra bowl or two MIGHT be an option, but once a team starts moving up the bowl pecking order due to record, the factor of how they travel kicks in, as well. In the lower-tier bowls (hate to put it like that) the traveling factor is not as much of a concern, although it's still there. I think for that reason some 6-6 teams will stay close to their fan base, as you mention.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Probably more exotic places to go bowling, but the HOD Bowl would do this for North Texas:

(1) Give us a huge opportunity to have the most traveling UNT fans (ever) at an away game; some might consider that a no-brainer.

(2) Give us a month to practice, to heal, to recruit special guests to be on the HOD Bowl sidelines (if the NCAA allows this for a bowl game) and to not only get ready for a New Years Day bowl game, but to also get a head start on Spring football and subsequently, the Fall, 2014 football season--as in getting a 1 month head start for both Spring and Fall?

(3) The DFW media would have a difficult time ignoring North Texas for a HOD Bowl game since we would have the CUSA offices (in nearby Irving) touting this bowl (which will most likely replace the Liberty Bowl and become an AAC bowl after this season); our UNT sports information office will be pumping out to the DFW media (and beyond) press releases plus.......the HOD Bowl people themselves would obviously be touting their own bowl as well to this region and state-wide,

(4) Must run but what did I miss here?

GMG!

PS: Anyone else realize that North Texas may very well be the only NCAA FBS school in DFW to go to a bowl this year?

Edited November 15, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

[forevereagle]

I only care about one thing. We haven't been bowl eligible for nine years, so let's not be LA Tech and screw up a bid in hopes of getting something sexier. Just go, and just win.

This will not happen. When we get an invite, we will accept it. By the time an invite occurs, the conference will have already hashed out what bowl is inviting what team. No reason to get cute.

[wardly]

Interesting. I googled 5 bowl projections websites. Vast majority had Marshall in Liberty bowl, North Texas in either H.O.D. or Military Bowl.

Edited November 15, 2013 by wardly

[oldguystudent]

What is the vast majority of 5? 4?

[outoftown]

I think another question should be asked: are there any bowl committee people that want UTSA in? I want to assume that everyone outside of UTSA wants to provisional program to wait their turn, but have no idea.

Sure there would be. Bowls officials don't care whether people have waited their turn, just whether that team will travel, whether it's fan base is excited and whether it will provide good tv ratings (making the next negotiations easier).... and then maybe about politics lik will taking that team make it easier to negotiate with the conferences etc. In some of these things UTSA will be better positioned than other 6-6 teams. Let's assume FAU gets to 6-6, which is actually quite possible. You are a hypothetical bowl in mississipi. With FAU travelling pretty terrible and with everything overshadowing FAU right now, are you sure you wouldn't opt for UTSA?

But it won't matter, as the decision will not be in bowl officials hands this year.

[wardly]

What is the vast majority of 5? 4?

Vast is an overstatement on my part, with the exception that our team has vastly improved.