C-USA purchases Bahamas Bowl, increases commitment

[10Eagle10]

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/04/28/report-conference-usa-buys-bigger-slice-of-bahamas-bowl-pie/

Thoughts?

[North Texas Shep]

Could be cool. Too far this broke mofo though.

[jdennis82]

It's an interestingly aggressive move to make sure CUSA is not left without a chair when the music stops.

Just speculating here but it seems the "Group of Five" conferences have developed a bowl game strategy targeting regions that are not currently dominated by the imprint of the Power 5 - with the announced bowls in Dubai, Dublin, and the Bahamas standing out as the greatest evidences. Using bowl game location to widen the brand recognition of conferences and their member schools makes sense if there's the underlying fear of the eventual split with the Power 5 that seems nearly a formality these days.

If this is the long-term outlook shared by the "Group of Five," I'm glad to see CUSA making a move to entrench ourselves in the action.

[Harry]

I think it's a good strategy. Can everyone make the trip? Probably not but it does seem to be reasonable priced as compared to some other resort destinations.

[GrayEagle]

It makes me wonder.

Admittedly, I am in the group that thinks that there are too many bowl games so a third place MAC team vs. a fourth place CUSA will not arouse much public interest.

The stadium only holds 15,000 so how are you going to get much payout without charging an arm and a leg? The stadium is somewhat reminiscent of Fouts in that it has a track around the field. The stands are much nicer, however, but you're still a long way from the action. Because of limited transportation the date is all-important. It is said that the stadium is expandable to 23K but I'm not sure that six games among the lesser powers would warrant expansion.

It would be a unique and fun destination but a paying deal for the conference? It makes me wonder.

[Mean Green 93-98]

I think the smaller conferences do much better when they play in bowl games within the conference footprint....think ULL at the N.O. Bowl, or us at the H.O.D. Bowl. We can get good attendance when the game is a reasonable drive away. But we are not like Michigan or Georgia, that will travel tens of thousands anywhere in the world you want to have a bowl game. It seems a bowl game in the Bahamas would make much better sense for the P5 conferences than for us.

[MeanGreenTexan]

I think the smaller conferences do much better when they play in bowl games within the conference footprint....think ULL at the N.O. Bowl, or us at the H.O.D. Bowl. We can get good attendance when the game is a reasonable drive away. But we are not like Michigan or Georgia, that will travel tens of thousands anywhere in the world you want to have a bowl game. It seems a bowl game in the Bahamas would make much better sense for the P5 conferences than for us.

Bahamas bowl will be a great landing spot for FAU.

We're either headed for the HOD again if we do really well, or the NM Bowl.

[EAGLE83]

Everybody will need a passport.

[GreenN'walinsVet]

Everybody will need a passport.

Exactly. Who pays for this? How do you expedite 100's of passports for players and personal from announcement to game time?

[the green rokemi]

Exactly. Who pays for this? How do you expedite 100's of passports for players and personal from announcement to game time?

I was wondering the same thing. A lot of logistics issues for the school and for fans.

[cogido]

The Baghdad Bowl, I heard that was a possibility too ?

[UNTexas]

Exactly. Who pays for this? How do you expedite 100's of passports for players and personal from announcement to game time?

Not difficult. State can get passports expedited if they need to. This is one of those instances they would get it done ASAP. The host country can also grant waivers if they wish and the official party and players would have to provide specific documents. The Athletic Department would have to do the leg work. The players would have to provide certified birth certificates and the rest is easy. The Bahamian officials aren't stupid, they'll have a POC make sure the visiting teams follow the SOPs for everyone to be granted admittance.

If kid's club soccer teams can accomplish this simple task then I damn well expect the AD to be Johnny on the spot for the mundane details like this.

[greenit]

I hope they can figure out a way to get the bowl moved somewhere central to our eastern teams where it is more of a drivable opportunity. We need to have as many opportunities to drive as much attendance as possible.

[Eagle1855]

The Baghdad Bowl, I heard that was a possibility too ?

That would be the bomb.

[Cerebus]

That would be the bomb.

We just better not show up un-pre-pared.

[the green rokemi]

That would be the bomb.

Our section could be called the green zone!

[Dr. Seuss]

I would go

[Arkstfan]

When the MAC was tied to the International Bowl the conference strongly encouraged everyone to get passports in September to avoid the $60 per head expedite fee and make sure there was no last minute scramble for documentation. There is a passport exception for the Bahamas call closed loop cruise. You leave on a ship that returns to the same port in the US. But booking a boat last minute seems counter-productive.

[JesseMartin]

When the MAC was tied to the International Bowl the conference strongly encouraged everyone to get passports in September to avoid the $60 per head expedite fee and make sure there was no last minute scramble for documentation. There is a passport exception for the Bahamas call closed loop cruise. You leave on a ship that returns to the same port in the US. But booking a boat last minute seems counter-productive.

Maybe, but that could be the "pre-bowl activities", I guess.

[Rudy]

The Baghdad Bowl, I heard that was a possibility too ?

Will they allow the long bomb?

[BeliefBlazer]

When the MAC was tied to the International Bowl the conference strongly encouraged everyone to get passports in September to avoid the $60 per head expedite fee and make sure there was no last minute scramble for documentation. There is a passport exception for the Bahamas call closed loop cruise. You leave on a ship that returns to the same port in the US. But booking a boat last minute seems counter-productive.

Could the conference itself book a cruise in advance and then give it to which ever team qualifies?

I liked the Miami Bowl but there was no "guarantee" there. The American had a clause to kick us out if a P5 team was available.

[JesseMartin]

Could the conference itself book a cruise in advance and then give it to which ever team qualifies?

This seems like the smartest idea. The only problem would be if both teams ended up on the same cruise, so the conferences could determine who takes which boat in advance.