SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Get ready for more bowl games, not fewer, as college administrators continue to push for more postseason access across all sports.
That's what bowl season director Nick Carparelli believes comes next after bowl season. College Football Playoff expands from 4 to 12 teams This fall, and possibly 14 in 2026. Why? Expansion is a hot trend in all areas of college athletics, and the NCAA Transformation Commission has made it clear that increased postseason opportunities are desired in all sports.
“Talking to head football coaches, athletic directors, conference commissioners, it's very encouraging. I think we're more likely to add a bowl game than subtract a bowl game,” Carparelli said this week. He spoke to 247 Sports at the annual Fiesta Summit for leaders. college athletics.
While the NCAA has no vested interest in the CFP or any of its 42 bowl games, including the CFP, leaders are concerned about developments in other NCAA sports, including serious upcoming talks to expand the men's NCAA Tournament in basketball to up to 80 games. I feel attracted to it. team.
“Twelve postseason chances aren't enough for college football as a whole,” Carparelli said. “There are so many great stories every year about growing programs coming up that have the opportunity to play in bowl games and celebrate great wins. This serves as a starting point and builds a platform for programs going forward in college football. needs a bowl game, and bowl games will be the answer to college football's postseason, just as they have been for the past 100 years.
Six of the 42 bowl games scheduled for 2024 are playoff games.
Because there weren't enough bowl-eligible teams available in each of the past three seasons, three five-win teams accepted invitations: Rutgers in 2021, Rice in 2022, and Minnesota in 2023.
The quality of play has also declined due to player opt-outs and the transfer portal. At least 78 players opted out of bowl games last season, and 431 players entered the transfer portal before postseason games, according to data compiled by Action Network. Florida State was the marquee player last season. The College Football Playoff Selection Committee did not select the Seminoles, resulting in 33 players choosing not to play in the Orange Bowl. Georgia defeated FSU 63-3.
“If I go to see the (Rolling) Stones and Mick Jagger isn't playing, am I really watching the Stones?” said Fiesta Bowl President Eric Moses. “People come to see the talent.”
Carparelli believes there is an opt-out solution. It's the impending transition to a player revenue-sharing model. According to ESPN, the NCAA may soon settle an antitrust lawsuit seeking back pay and revenue sharing to players for more than $2.7 billion, which could pave the way for future revenue sharing with players. It is said that it will also be held.
“It appears that these outside groups will now be managed by university athletic departments,” Carparelli said. “That seems to be what everyone wants. What's bound to follow is some kind of formal agreement between the student-athlete and the university. We're going to pay you X amount of money and You're going to do certain things.'' For college football players, that's likely to include 12 regular season games, a bowl game, and/or a contract with the CFP. do it.
“So what? That's how the world works. If you have a job, you get paid for the work. If you don't work, you don't get paid. I'm not like that.” I think many problems will be solved if a standardized system is introduced. Avoid reduced payments. ”
Meanwhile, uncertainties in college athletics include player salaries, conference realignment, and the Big Ten and SEC working together to demand salary increases from the CFP (and further widening the funding gap between competitors). But at least one private equity firm is motivated to participate in the playoffs. Participate in Group of Five conferences.
of Pitchman is former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, backed by private equity.a source told CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd. Officials added this week that no proposals have been submitted to the AAC, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West or Sunbelt commissioners. A competition director who spoke with Dooley recently said the conversation was thin on details. The group has not yet formalized the format, but officials told Dodd last week that one iteration would include eight divisions of 62 teams, with a CFP appearance at the end of the regular season. The division winning team will play for a spot. This iteration is separate from the possibility of group departure from CFP.
The top-ranked Group of 5 champion is guaranteed a playoff spot under the latest CFP agreement approved by the FBS conference and Notre Dame. Group 5 compensation is expected to average $2 million per team, significantly less than the lowest-paid team in the power conference ($12.3 million in the Big 12). The contract expires after the 2031 season.
Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said, “I have yet to see a proposal that would force the Mountain West to leave the CFP for other purposes.” “I can't say there isn't something there, I just haven't seen it yet.”
Coach Carparelli has spoken with multiple commissioners and believes Dooley's pitching is lacking.
“I don't feel any desire for that concept,” he said.
For now, the bowl season will only consist of 42 games, but it's clear they want more.
“We're in the right numbers, but we're always on the lookout to make sure we have ample opportunity to serve all of our members,” Carparelli said.
