7-5 vs 6-6 teams in bowls

[ReedFrawg]

I have read all about this deal in various thread on this board and others. Regarding SMU going to NOLA at 6-6, is it possible for a bowl to pick a 6-6 team over a 7-5 team as long as the conference is contractually tied to the bowl? I thought the 7-5 rule only applied for bowls with at-large spots (i.e. the Poinsettia Bowl would have to take an at-large 7-5 MAC team before it could take an at-large 6-6 Big12 team). My guess is that a bowl can choose any bowl eligible team from a conference that is contractually tied to the bowl...but that is only a guess. Can anyone confirm?

[The PonyGrad]

Someone posted the language. As I recall it was definite that 7-5 goes before 6-6 but if contracted a 6-6 would be picked from the contracting conference before a noncontracted team with a better record.

[Stallion]

Its an NCAA Rule required by ALL conferences however I think it only applies to bowl affiliations in place at the start of the football season(that may be some escape clause applicable to some bowls)

[perunapower]

From http://www.ncaa.org/library/handbooks/f ... ndbook.pdf

Deserving Winning Team
A deserving winning team is defined as one that wins a minimum of six games against Division I-A competition and has a record that includes more wins than losses. [Exception: Each year, a Division I-A institution may count a victory against a Division I-AA opponent that has averaged 90 percent of the permissible maximum number of grants-in-aid per year in Division I-AA football over a rolling two-year period.]
Per Bylaw exception 30.9.2.1 an institution with a record of six wins and six losses may be selected for participation in a bowl game if 1) the institution or its conference has a primary contractual affiliation, which existed prior to the first contest of the applicable season, with the sponsoring bowl organization. In the case of a conference contractual affiliation, all conference teams with winning records must be placed in one of the contracted bowl games before any institution with a record of six wins and six losses may be placed in a contracted bowl game; and 2) all contratual affiliations have been fulfilled and all institutions with winning records have received bowl invitations (either through a contractual affiliation or as an at-large selection).
Division I-A contests played in Hawaii are exempt from NCAA legislation limiting a season to 11 games, but this competition does count in the six-win requirement. An institution that participates in an exempt contest, however, must have more wins than losses against Division I-A opponents to be eligible to participate in a bowl game, even if it meets the six-win requirement.

[ReedFrawg]

Per Bylaw exception 30.9.2.1 an institution with a record of six wins and six losses may be selected for participation in a bowl game if 1) the institution or its conference has a primary contractual affiliation, which existed prior to the first contest of the applicable season, with the sponsoring bowl organization. In the case of a conference contractual affiliation, all conference teams with winning records must be placed in one of the contracted bowl games before any institution with a record of six wins and six losses may be placed in a contracted bowl game.

Thanks...that answers my question. Beat Rice.

[perunapower]

Per Bylaw exception 30.9.2.1 an institution with a record of six wins and six losses may be selected for participation in a bowl game if 1) the institution or its conference has a primary contractual affiliation, which existed prior to the first contest of the applicable season, with the sponsoring bowl organization. In the case of a conference contractual affiliation, all conference teams with winning records must be placed in one of the contracted bowl games before any institution with a record of six wins and six losses may be placed in a contracted bowl game.

Thanks...that answers my question. Beat Rice.

No problem. Maybe someone will make this a sticky, so I don't have to keep correcting people.

[SMU_is_bowling]

But you are so good at it!!!

[jtstang]

I think they should adopt a rule that requires you to improve by at least one game in the loss column from your non-eligible status in order to be eligible.

[smu diamond m]

Division I-A contests played in Hawaii are exempt from NCAA legislation limiting a season to 11 games, but this competition does count in the six-win requirement. An institution that participates in an exempt contest, however, must have more wins than losses against Division I-A opponents to be eligible to participate in a bowl game, even if it meets the six-win requirement.

Why are games played in Hawaii exempt? Travel-related expenses?

[MustangStealth]

Why are games played in Hawaii exempt? Travel-related expenses?

Yes. Making that game exempt allows you to schedule one more home game in order to sell tickets and offset travel costs. It also makes non-conference scheduling possible for Hawaii.