In Jacksonville, Florida, there was significant anxiety about the upcoming College Football Playoff (CFP) scenarios, particularly from the president of the Gator Bowl, Greg McGarity. He had been meticulously monitoring the playoff landscape throughout the season, aware that the outcomes could greatly influence his bowl’s matchup. It was a complex situation, with uncertainties regarding whether the Southeastern Conference (SEC) could secure five berths in the expanded playoff or if the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) could attain three. These questions lingered even as late as November.
The situation was further complicated by the introduction of four first-round playoff games, which would ultimately leave four strong teams without bowl games. However, the addition of several competitive teams to power conferences — such as Oregon joining the Big Ten, Texas aligning with the SEC, and SMU moving to the ACC — alleviated much of McGarity’s concern. Consequently, the Gator Bowl was set to host its most highly ranked team in nearly two decades, with No. 16 Ole Miss slated to participate.
“The addition of teams like Texas and Oklahoma really enhanced our options,” McGarity explained. “They have the potential to either improve or reduce the standing of traditional SEC teams, pushing many down the ranks.” The changing dynamics of bowl selections were not new, as non-CFP bowls have learned to adapt over time. The 1990s and the early 2000s experienced shifts aimed at aligning top teams before the CFP established itself as a true tournament in college football. Prior to this year, the playoff was limited to four teams, but now, with the new 12-team format, four deserving teams would be left out of the bowl games after the first-round playoff losses.
Scott Ramsey, who leads the Music City Bowl in Nashville, stated, “We’ve had to adapt to numerous changes. The additional games have not significantly altered our selection process. Historically, we evaluated teams based on the New Year’s Six, which equated to 12 teams away from potential bowl slots. The 12-team playoff maintains a similar situation.” Ramsey will see a match between No. 23 Missouri and Iowa on December 30, with many lesser-known bowl games also featuring high-profile teams. Notably, the ReliaQuest Bowl pairs No. 11 Alabama against Michigan, while Texas A&M will take on USC in the Las Vegas Bowl, and No. 14 South Carolina will meet No. 15 Miami in separate bowls in Orlando.
John Saccenti, the executive director of the Las Vegas Bowl, expressed his concerns, saying, “The issue is that the CFP occupies the opening weekend, which compresses our scheduling.” Bowl season kicks off this Saturday with the Cricket Celebration Bowl, followed by the first round of the CFP on December 20-21. The potential effects of these changes on non-CFP bowls remain uncertain, and they will have a clearer picture by 2026, when a planned reset of the bowl landscape is due. This could involve further expansion of the CFP, possibly allowing 14 teams, and notable adjustments to how bowls operate, including the possibility of on-campus games and a greater variety of locations for semifinal rounds and championships.
Despite the heightened focus on the expanded CFP, interest in non-playoff bowl games remains robust. ESPN has confirmed that fans still enjoy watching bowl games, even as more athletes choose to enter the NCAA transfer portal or focus on preparing for the NFL draft instead of completing their seasons. “Around the holidays, there is a natural enthusiasm for football and bowls,” noted Kurt Dargis, ESPN’s senior director of programming. “Despite the uncertainties brought on by the expanded playoff, we anticipate this demand will persist.”
The existing bowl arrangement will be in place until 2025, leaving a lot of questions unanswered about future developments. Could sponsors start offering financial incentives to players participating in these games? Might schools incorporate substantial name, image, and likeness payments for those involved in the bowls? Will conferences lean away from traditional bowl tie-ins to explore more exciting matchups? The future could also see bowls adopting a more adventurous approach, similar to Pop-Tarts with its quirky edible mascot.
Ultimately, the direction of college bowl games largely hinges on revenue, sponsorships, television viewership, and ticket sales. “One thing we’ve learned is that we must serve our partners,” Saccenti concluded. “We will be part of the overarching system and need to remain adaptable to the evolving landscape of postseason college football.”
