Member-only story
Bowl Overload
I could write this story in my sleep. I could have written this story every year for the past five years. Here’s why:
“The members are gonna have to figure out, what’s the purpose of bowl games?” NCAA President Mark Emmert said during a session at the IMG Intercollegiate Athletics Forum. “Is it a reward for a successful season or is it just another game that we’re gonna provide an opportunity for? … We need to look hard at that.”
He is, of course, talking about the obscene number of Bowl Games, which, starting tomorrow, will go until January 13 with the National Championship game (which thankfully won’t include Alabama). But he made that statement not recently, but four years ago, in 2015.
What has happened since? Not much. The glut of post-season bowls have continued, almost unabated since then. This year, there are 38 bowls, with a staggering nine scheduled for tomorrow and Saturday. Two games are set-aside for the ‘national semi-finals’ and the Championship game on January 13.
I used to love watching Bowl games. The Big Four (Rose, Cotton, Orange and Sugar) were always on New Year’s Day. Lindsay Nelson did the Cotton Bowl (later replaced by Pat Summerall), Curt Gowdy did the Rose Bowl, Keith Jackson called the Sugar and Don Criqui called the Orange.
