PonyFans.com

Saw this blurb from the San Antonio Express-News, but I don't have a subscription so I couldn't read it all. Nonetheless, if this ever comes to pass, the idea potentially relates to the American Athletic Conference and SMU.

Austin angling to host bowl game
By Tim GriffinMarch 31, 2015 Updated: March 31, 2015 8:30pm

Officials from the American Athletic Conference are set to meet with Austin leaders on Wednesday to discuss plans for a proposed college football bowl game at Royal Memorial Stadium.

The NCAA for once needs to do the right thing and put a stop to these ridiculous bowl games. It cheapens the legit ones. 6-6 teams playing in the post season is a joke.

Little Rock today officially submitted their bid for a bowl game. It would be Sunbelt/American.

I have no problem with every team playing in a bowl game. If it can generate revenue for someone while allowing extra practice time, why not? No reason only the good teams should get the benefits. There is a separate class of bowls for the real good teams. Lesser bowls are about fun trips for the fans and practice for the players in a fun setting.

LA_Mustang wrote:The NCAA for once needs to do the right thing and put a stop to these ridiculous bowl games. It cheapens the legit ones. 6-6 teams playing in the post season is a joke.

Totally agree. The payouts from these bowls barely covers the teams' expenses.

The NCAA should limit participation in bowls to at lease 7-5 or even 8-4 teams and then let the non bowling teams have winter training.

The biggest advantage to bowls is the additional training and work the teams get.

Why do you choose to deprive teams of practice? Having the games hurts no one. There is a clear distinction between the real and the minor.

mrydel wrote:I have no problem with every team playing in a bowl game. If it can generate revenue for someone while allowing extra practice time, why not? No reason only the good teams should get the benefits. There is a separate class of bowls for the real good teams. Lesser bowls are about fun trips for the fans and practice for the players in a fun setting.

I get what you're saying but I like the bowl games to be a reward for a good/great season. I guess it will eventually be like getting a participation trophy in little league.

mrydel wrote:Why do you choose to deprive teams of practice? Having the games hurts no one. There is a clear distinction between the real and the minor.

With that thinking how does it reward the athletes/teams who have had a great season and finish in the tier just below a BCS bowl, say the Peach Bowl or Holiday Bowl, when teams finishing 6-6 in the Sun Belt or even a team in their own conference who get to go to a great vacation destination like Hawaii or Little Rock and basically get a better reward than the more deserving teams. At this rate, we should have 60 bowl games and let everyone have a vacation practice game.

One more thing as for there being a clear distinction between the major and minor bowls, I really don't think there is. It's BCS and everything else. I bet your average football fan doesn't really distinguish between the Peach Bowl and the Armed Forces Bowl or New Orleans Bowl. If we had 25 total bowls, then people might recognize the accomplishment of the teams playing.

What the NCAA should do is force the Bowls to competitively bid for certification. Any city/bowl can bid-Low bids get left out

Since it's capacity would be ideal for hosting a game between a 6-6 AAC team v. a 6-6 Sunbelt team, I think that Sherman's Bearcat Stadium should host the Border Bowl.

For those people who have never played there, Bearcat Stadium has the softest grass in North Texas. When I played there, it was virtually impossible to get injured in a game there. Old school in a good way, it's 6500 capacity would be ideal when Tulane squares off against (I don't know any Sunbelt schools and I am too lazy to google it).

http://www.texasbob.mobi/stadium/stadium.php?id=370


NO MORE BOWLS.

Royal Stadium would look empty with 30K fans and locals only care about UT football and the Cowboys. NOBODY WOULD SHOW UP!!!

LA_Mustang wrote:With that thinking how does it reward the athletes/teams who have had a great season and finish in the tier just below a BCS bowl, say the Peach Bowl or Holiday Bowl, when teams finishing 6-6 in the Sun Belt or even a team in their own conference who get to go to a great vacation destination like Hawaii or Little Rock and basically get a better reward than the more deserving teams.

San Diego and Atlanta are worse bowl destination than Honolulu and Little Rock? According to whom?

LA_Mustang wrote:One more thing as for there being a clear distinction between the major and minor bowls, I really don't think there is. It's BCS and everything else. I bet your average football fan doesn't really distinguish between the Peach Bowl and the Armed Forces Bowl or New Orleans Bowl.

I disagree, college football fans know and understand the difference. Casual fans may not know the difference, but they don't care anyway.

@McMurphyESPN: Austin, Little Rock, Tucson & Orlando applied for new bowls, sources told @ESPN. If approved, 43 bowls this year

CA Mustang wrote:San Diego and Atlanta are worse bowl destination than Honolulu and Little Rock? According to whom?

Little Rock was a joke directed at mrydel, hence the . Sorry, thought that would be obvious. And yes, I think most would prefer to go to Honolulu over Atlanta or SD. My point is a team that has a very mediocre seasons can be rewarded just as well as a team that has a really good season. Just a personal opinion, but I don't think that's right.

I don't think 90% of college football fans could tell you who won last year's top tier non-BCS bowls (Peach, Alamo, Holiday, Citrus) unless they had a dog in the hunt. If there were far few bowls, 20-25, they would be more meaningful and memorable. Again, just my opinion.

Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN · 7m7 minutes ago
If new bowls approved, AAC will have 9 bowls for 12 teams, highest % of bowls for any conference

Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN · 9m9 minutes ago
If 4 new bowls approved, 66% of 127 FBS teams will go bowling this season

Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN · 12m12 minutes ago
Austin, Little Rock, Tucson & Orlando applied for new bowls, sources told @ESPN. If approved, 43 bowls this year

Brett McMurphy @McMurphyESPN

Proposed new bowls: Austin (AAC vs. C-USA), Tucson (MWC vs. C-USA), Orlando (AAC vs. SB), Little Rock (AAC vs. SB)