Yet another "USF -- Bowl" thread

[cophbulls]

I realize that this may have already been said but you need 6 1-A wins to be bowl eligible,Tennesee Tech was not 1-A. Yes I realize that you can make a 1-AA win count once every four years, but with big money BE bowls coming up I doubt Leavitt takes that bait. USF has to win out to get those six wins. Sorry guys, bowling is unlikely.

[Goldenbuc]

USF has as much of a chance at bowling as UCF does.   8)

[Jim Johnson]

I realize that this may have already been said but you need 6 1-A wins to be bowl eligible,Tennesee Tech was not 1-A. Yes I realize that you can make a 1-AA win count once every four years, but with big money BE bowls coming up I doubt Leavitt takes that bait. USF has to win out to get those six wins. Sorry guys, bowling is unlikely.

Matt,

So you're saying that CJL will turn down USF's first ever bowl invitation because he might want to wait until next year and have to use the FAMU game??

Can I have some of whatever it is you're smoking?? 'Cause it sounds like some good stuff.

If USF wins 4 of its last games and finishes 6-5, and CJL has to apply the Tenn Tech game to make it to a bowl ... he will do it in a heartbeat.  Especially if we are the fifth and final C-USA team.

---

Of note, after this weekend's games, I'll do a conference-by-conference breakdown for all I-A bowl games.  It looks like the PAC 10, Big 12 and the SEC might not have enough bowl eligible teams -- but that's a story for another time.

[79 Bull]

If USF wins 4 of its last games and finishes 6-5, and CJL has to apply the Tenn Tech game to make it to a bowl ... he will do it in a heartbeat.  Especially if we are the fifth and final C-USA team.

Agreed.  You have to take it if it comes.  He absolutely could not refuse a bowl and face the seniors on this team.

BTW, this could get interesting with NO probably having to pick teams before our last game meaning we could commit to a bowl not knowing if we have to use TTU as a win or not.

[cophbulls]

OK good points but

1) I don't smoke anything,

2) If anyone believes that, behind the scenes, college football is anything other than a business they are mistaken. Bottom line, college football is in the business of generating revenue for the school they represent. Another point before I make my argument is, you apply for that 1-AA exemption and become eligible prior to accepting a bowl bid. Now this probably occurs somewhat simultaneously but any AD worth his salt would have the capability to determine if a) the school could become eligible through the exemption and the school actually is getting an invivtation, PRIOR to anyone else's knowledge. That AD/coach could make the choice to accept or decline a invitation without anyone being the wiser.

Now for sake of argument lets say that next year we find ourselves in the exact situation where an exemption would be required to get into a BE bowl.

If we took a bowl bid this year, say Hawaii, USF would lose an enormous amount of money. Think I'm kidding? According to the USA today back in '99 Oregon State got $750,000 from the Oahu Bowl  and spent $1,052,870 going to it. And that's going from Oregon to Hawaii,  think about the cost going from Florida to Hawaii. Now I think most would be OK with that if the team wasn't using up it's exemption. There would be very little exposure(reward) for the cost.

Now comes next year, we are in the same prediciment, but can't accept a 1.6 million dollar gator bowl bid, which would cost very little and have enormous exposure(reward), because we already used our exemption.

I think the athletic department knows this and will not use their exemption for this year. Now I've been wrong many, many times before and will be wrong many, many times in the future and could very well be wrong here as this is all speculation. I would prefer USF to win out, accept a bid and not use their exemption at this point.

One more point before I leave, last year we could have gone to a bowl but JL didnt want to petition the NCAA for a different kind of exemption. See it just isn't that the win is against a 1-AA team. That school also has to have a certain number of scholarships of which neither Charleston Southern nor Nicholls State had enough. A school can petition the NCAA for another exemption ot allow that to go through. The success rate is about 50-50. JL and company declined to take that route even though the Bulls were a better team then than now.

[79 Bull]

You don't get in the gator bowl with a 6-5 record - right?

[cophbulls]

Aaahhhh, good catch, I was hoping that logic would fly. Although it's a possibility, you are right it is unlikely. I used the Gator Bowl because it illustrated my point the best.

[79 Bull]

Cop, I agree with your logic, but with only 8 teams and 3-4 bowls, I don't think you will get to any NBE bowl with a 6-5 record.  However, that would probably get you a lesser game for a conference that can't fill their slots.  I say use the exemption the first time you need it and let the future chips fall where they may.

[Metro_Retro_Bull]

New Orleans or Ft. Worth please

[Jim Johnson]

Cop, I agree with your logic, but with only 8 teams and 3-4 bowls, I don't think you will get to any NBE bowl with a 6-5 record.  However, that would probably get you a lesser game for a conference that can't fill their slots.  I say use the exemption the first time you need it and let the future chips fall where they may.

The City of Toronto is behind a bid to create a new bowl for the New Big East -- I think it would be Big East v MAC... and it would be played in the SkyDome.  That would be kina fun -- American dollars go farther and the drinking age is 19.

MAC bowl in Toronto possible

By John Wagner

Toledo Blade

The first college football bowl game to be played outside the United States in 67 years is in the formative stages, and the new bowl may give the Mid-American Conference the chance for a third bowl bid as early as next season.

Don Loding, director of operations for the Motor City Bowl, is leading a group that hopes to bring the as-yet-unnamed game to life in 2005.

The contest would be played on an undetermined date between Christmas and New Year's Day at SkyDome in Toronto.

If the NCAA sanctions the contest, it will be the first Division I-A college bowl game played outside the United States since the Bacardi Bowl, which was played in Havana 1937 as Auburn and Villanova played to a 7-7 tie.

"We've explored several locations for a bowl game, but Toronto is the one that has emerged," Loding said Monday. "It has the best collection of ingredients for a bowl. Geographically, it is a terrific site; for bowl teams it presents a wonderful trip to an exciting city; and we have received wonderful feedback about having a game here.

"It just rose to the top of the list of candidate cities."

The bowl must be certified by the NCAA's Bowl Certification Committee, which meets next April. By that time, Toronto bowl organizers must meet five requirements to gain certification:

•  $2 million letter of credit from a financial institution.

•  A national television contract.

•  A contract with a stadium.

•  A contract with at least one conference.

•  A show of support from the host city.

"We're in the very early stages, but we've identified a number of elements we need (for a bowl game)," Loding said. "We've identified the MAC as one of the conferences in the game, and we've identified the Big East (Conference) as an opponent. We've worked with the city government in Toronto, and by the end of this week we hope to have an endorsement by the city. And we've had good discussions with the management of SkyDome."

The potential of a third bowl game for the MAC is good news for the league, which last season had only two teams play in bowls despite having three squads win at least 10 games.

Miami played in the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala., and Bowling Green played in the Motor City Bowl in Detroit. Both of those bowls have annual MAC tie-ins.

Northern Illinois did not receive a berth to one of the 28 bowl games played last year despite a 10-2 record and victories against Maryland, Alabama and Iowa State.

"Getting a third bowl game remains, if not the highest priority, certainly a top priority," MAC commissioner Rick Chryst said. "We are aware of, and supportive of, the initial organizing efforts in Toronto."

http://www.cincypost.com/2004/10/06/macfoot10-06-2004.html