The Georgia-Florida State Orange Bowl debacle begs the question: are bowl games just glorified exhibitions now? The 63-3 score speaks volumes.
Awful Announcing’s Sean Keeley recently penned an article titled “Maybe the bowl system is meant to die, and that’s okay.” The premise there was that college football is always evolving, so the bowl system should evolve. And it seems that many are on board with this idea.
With over 40 bowl games vying for attention, the landscape feels oversaturated. Many matchups lack historical significance or compelling narratives. And that’s in addition to top players increasingly opting out of non-playoff games, diluting the on-field talent and diminishing the spectacle.
College football is currently at a crossroads, and there is a lot of uncertainty about its future. One person who has a lot of influence in the community is ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit. Although Herbstreit claims he doesn’t have any influence over the CFP committee, the fact remains that his opinions carry some weight. When he makes a statement, people tend to pay attention.
Prior to Monday’s Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl, Herbstreit suggested on College GameDay that it might be time to do away with bowl games altogether.
“I think the 12-team playoff is going to create a lot of buzz,” said Herbstreit. “How many games will that be, seven total? You have the quarterfinals, the semis and the national championship.
“It’s going to remind me next year of it being worse. I think we’re headed to — I’m a college basketball fan; we all get our bracket out, March Madness. Tell me about the NIT; how’s that going for you? You know, who is even in the NIT? That’s where the bowls are going next year. I think you eliminate the bowls. Nobody wants to play in them, don’t play bowls. Just have the 12 teams — we’ll get excited about those — and if you want to add maybe five or six more bowls outside of that, then do five or six.
“But, we’re getting to a point where it’s ridiculous. We’re putting 6-6 teams in bowl games nobody cares about. If players don’t want to play in them, hell with it, don’t have bowl games anymore.”
Herbstreit’s suggestion to eliminate bowl games altogether adds fuel to the fire. His point about the 12-team playoff potentially making traditional bowls irrelevant is valid. If fans are fully engrossed in the expanded playoff, bowl games might lose their luster (if they haven’t already).
His analogy to the NIT in college basketball is interesting. Both systems feature consolation tournaments for teams not in the main championship chase. While the NIT still holds some value, it’s undeniable that March Madness attracts far more attention.
It’s certainly plausible to think that the same thing could happen to bowl games in the future.
Herbstreit maintained that he’s a “bowl guy” and a “bowl junkie,” but he’s tired of saying that they’re fun.
“If nobody wants to play in them, don’t play them,” said a defiant Herbstreit
[The Spun]
