I saw we are now getting a flex model, with access to new games. Anything know about this? Seems beneficial!

The Bowl Line Up is in and ESPN is the winner getting the first pick for it's pool of bowls: https://sunbeltsports.org/news/2020/5/28...20-26.aspx

New Orleans gets the 2nd pick and Mobile gets to go last.

Bowl pool includes...
• Boca Raton Bowl (Boca Raton, FL)
• Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, AL)
• Cure Bowl (Orlando, FL)
• Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise, ID)
• SERVPRO First Responder Bowl (Dallas, TX)
• Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl (Frisco, TX)
• Myrtle Beach Bowl (Myrtle Beach, SC)
• New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque, NM)

A lot more options going forward. Mobile got the shaft with the 5th pick.

I guess my question is what other conferences are in the pool with the Sunbelt?

If I’m reading this right, this is good news for us and the Myrtle Beach Bowl. Now the Sun Belt champion is more likely to go to a nearby bowl.

(It's also an admission by the New Orleans Bowl that Louisiana isn't the favorite to win the SBC championship.)

I would rather be in Boise, Dallas or Orlando. I can go to Myrtle Beach anytime...

Good news: More flexibility with matchups, missing out on New Orleans doesn't automatically put us in Alabama. Better chance at Orlando, and Boca is a nice addition.

Bad news: We're probably never going back to New Orleans, which IMO is the best city and best stadium on the list. Hard to envision a brand new bowl in a tiny stadium in Myrtle Beach drawing a lot of appealing opponents.

Otherwise, I suspect people's feelings about this will depend on how you feel about Myrtle.

CharlotteApp05 wrote: ↑

Thu May 28, 2020 12:30 pm

I guess my question is what other conferences are in the pool with the Sunbelt?

CUSA also released their list today, and it includes a lot of the same bowls. However, both leagues have more tie-ins than they can likely fill. So I'm guessing the idea is to move to a model where these lower-tier bowls have >2 conference partners each, and ESPN plays more of an active matchmaker role.

EastHallApp wrote: ↑

Thu May 28, 2020 1:03 pm

Good news: More flexibility with matchups, missing out on New Orleans doesn't automatically put us in Alabama. Better chance at Orlando, and Boca is a nice addition.

Bad news: We're probably never going back to New Orleans, which IMO is the best city and best stadium on the list. Hard to envision a brand new bowl in a tiny stadium in Myrtle Beach drawing a lot of appealing opponents.

Otherwise, I suspect people's feelings about this will depend on how you feel about Myrtle.

Why do you think that we won’t go back to NOLA

I agree I doubt we ever get picked for NOLA, also throw Mobile with the 5th pick in that never again group.

We're staring at Boca in a great year and Myrtle, Montgomery, Orlando in the good years.

GS, and GA St. could get those plus Mobile

ULL, Ark. St., Texas St., USA, Troy get the NOLA, Dallas, Frisco, Mobile, Montgomery bowls.

Fillers get the NM and Idaho bowls.

AppSt94 wrote: ↑

Thu May 28, 2020 1:08 pm

EastHallApp wrote: ↑

Thu May 28, 2020 1:03 pm

Good news: More flexibility with matchups, missing out on New Orleans doesn't automatically put us in Alabama. Better chance at Orlando, and Boca is a nice addition.

Bad news: We're probably never going back to New Orleans, which IMO is the best city and best stadium on the list. Hard to envision a brand new bowl in a tiny stadium in Myrtle Beach drawing a lot of appealing opponents.

Otherwise, I suspect people's feelings about this will depend on how you feel about Myrtle.

Why do you think that we won’t go back to NOLA

The combination of NOLA being the 2nd choice along with the bowl themselves making the pick (as opposed to ESPN picking the rest other than Mobile).

It's pretty clear that, given their choice, NOLA would take ULL pretty much any time they can, and ULL would prefer that as well. Should they win the league title, I don't see any reason ESPN would screw them and the bowl over (which they also own) by sending them elsewhere unless it's the NY6.

If ULL isn't available for NOLA (either bc they had a losing season or got picked before), the bowl would still likely pick some closer team than us.

I'm sure one can dream up some scenario where we go back there, and I'm not saying it's impossible. But I think a lot of things would have to fall just so.

Tbatchelor1977 wrote: ↑

Thu May 28, 2020 12:54 pm

I would rather be in Boise, Dallas or Orlando. I can go to Myrtle Beach anytime...

This may be true. But fan travel will be a HUGE deciding factor and I can't see us passing by Myrtle Beach, at least the first time.

https://goccusports.com/common/controls ... tadium.png

Never been a fan of Myrtle Beach, but Brooks Stadium is a first-rate facility that seats 21,000. I’m guessing a majority (or at least a plurality) of App fans would be thrilled to spend a bowl weekend there in December.

EastHallApp wrote: ↑

Thu May 28, 2020 1:22 pm

AppSt94 wrote: ↑

Thu May 28, 2020 1:08 pm

EastHallApp wrote: ↑

Thu May 28, 2020 1:03 pm

Good news: More flexibility with matchups, missing out on New Orleans doesn't automatically put us in Alabama. Better chance at Orlando, and Boca is a nice addition.

Bad news: We're probably never going back to New Orleans, which IMO is the best city and best stadium on the list. Hard to envision a brand new bowl in a tiny stadium in Myrtle Beach drawing a lot of appealing opponents.

Otherwise, I suspect people's feelings about this will depend on how you feel about Myrtle.

Why do you think that we won’t go back to NOLA

The combination of NOLA being the 2nd choice along with the bowl themselves making the pick (as opposed to ESPN picking the rest other than Mobile).

It's pretty clear that, given their choice, NOLA would take ULL pretty much any time they can, and ULL would prefer that as well. Should they win the league title, I don't see any reason ESPN would screw them and the bowl over (which they also own) by sending them elsewhere unless it's the NY6.

If ULL isn't available for NOLA (either bc they had a losing season or got picked before), the bowl would still likely pick some closer team than us.

I'm sure one can dream up some scenario where we go back there, and I'm not saying it's impossible. But I think a lot of things would have to fall just so.

All valid points. I have enjoyed NO both trips. I just don’t see penciling Louisiana into the NO Bowl every year as a good business model. Yes, you will sell tickets, but ticket sales benefit the schools, not the bowl. Also, how much money would Louisiana fans actually inject into the local economy? Do enough of them stay in hotels and eat multiple meals in the French Quarter to offset the fan base that has to 100% travel? Not arguing, just pointing out a different perspective. Yes, Troy, USA, ULM, and Arky St could rotate in as well, but APP and probably Southern would be an attractive option for the bowl as a #2 team.

This lineup seems favorable and makes more sense.

Boca and MB are the primary choices for bowl games but allow me to pitch you on the idea of the Frisco or Dallas bowls...

Most importantly, the weather in the DFW area in December/January is nice. It can drop into the 50s but its nice.

SERVPRO First Responder Bowl (Dallas, TX)
- There are at least 10 flights a day at every possible time from CLT/RDU to DAL (DFW as well but its a ways away)
- SMUs Gerald J. Ford Stadium is beautiful. Its on campus which is also beautiful (not a ton of parking but you don't need a car in this part of Dallas)
- Technically in Highland Park TX which is the premier suburb of Dallas. Its beautiful
- There are multiple hotels/restaurants/bars/museums & more within a $5 Uber ride in any direction of the stadium.
- This would be an awesome change of scenery every once and a while.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl (Frisco, TX)
- Toyota Stadium was built for soccer so its not that pretty but the FCS Championship is there and the NDSU fans love it.
- Frisco is in the north east part of the metroplex but the stadium is in a newer development and just south of it is Legacy in Plano which is nothing but hotels, restaurants, bars.
- The casino in Oklahoma is only about a 45 min drive.
- 10+ flights a day at every possible time from CLT/RDU to DAL/DFW (DFW is reasonable for this one).
- You'd probably want a car to drive down into Dallas proper to see the city.
- Not my 1st choice to have a bowl game but it is way better than Mobile or Montgomery (and easier to get to).

AppSt94 wrote: ↑

Thu May 28, 2020 2:04 pm

EastHallApp wrote: ↑

Thu May 28, 2020 1:22 pm

AppSt94 wrote: ↑

Thu May 28, 2020 1:08 pm

EastHallApp wrote: ↑

Thu May 28, 2020 1:03 pm

Good news: More flexibility with matchups, missing out on New Orleans doesn't automatically put us in Alabama. Better chance at Orlando, and Boca is a nice addition.

Bad news: We're probably never going back to New Orleans, which IMO is the best city and best stadium on the list. Hard to envision a brand new bowl in a tiny stadium in Myrtle Beach drawing a lot of appealing opponents.

Otherwise, I suspect people's feelings about this will depend on how you feel about Myrtle.

Why do you think that we won’t go back to NOLA

The combination of NOLA being the 2nd choice along with the bowl themselves making the pick (as opposed to ESPN picking the rest other than Mobile).

It's pretty clear that, given their choice, NOLA would take ULL pretty much any time they can, and ULL would prefer that as well. Should they win the league title, I don't see any reason ESPN would screw them and the bowl over (which they also own) by sending them elsewhere unless it's the NY6.

If ULL isn't available for NOLA (either bc they had a losing season or got picked before), the bowl would still likely pick some closer team than us.

I'm sure one can dream up some scenario where we go back there, and I'm not saying it's impossible. But I think a lot of things would have to fall just so.

All valid points. I have enjoyed NO both trips. I just don’t see penciling Louisiana into the NO Bowl every year as a good business model. Yes, you will sell tickets, but ticket sales benefit the schools, not the bowl. Also, how much money would Louisiana fans actually inject into the local economy? Do enough of them stay in hotels and eat multiple meals in the French Quarter to offset the fan base that has to 100% travel? Not arguing, just pointing out a different perspective. Yes, Troy, USA, ULM, and Arky St could rotate in as well, but APP and probably Southern would be an attractive option for the bowl as a #2 team.

I assume you're referring to sales of the schools' initial allotments, but New Orleans has sold well beyond that when ULL has been there. Anywhere from 34,000 to 48,000, and over 54,000 when they played Tulane.

I agree with the points about hotels and restaurants (and I don't know the answers either), but they've made it plain what their preference is, and understandably so when you're talking 15K-25K more fans. Honestly that's how I feel about Myrtle Beach - I'd probably make that a day trip if/when we're in that bowl.

Anyway, I hope I'm wrong as I've enjoyed both trips to New Orleans too.

If Myrtle Beach really is hoping/angling for us to visit at least every couple/few years then we need to find a way to get Coastal back to an earlier spot in the football calendar. In those years we travel to Coastal in the regular season (like this year) I can imagine a good many fans wouldn't be too excited about going down there twice in maybe a 3-week span, give or take, and on assumption that they'll be slotted an early bowl game. Late September/early October for the regular season visit every-other-year would be perfect...that way you might get two very different visits in the same year, should you be headed to MB for a bowl.

HkyMtneer wrote: ↑

Thu May 28, 2020 4:45 pm

If Myrtle Beach really is hoping/angling for us to visit at least every couple/few years then we need to find a way to get Coastal back to an earlier spot in the football calendar. In those years we travel to Coastal in the regular season (like this year) I can imagine a good many fans wouldn't be too excited about going down there twice in maybe a 3-week span, give or take, and on assumption that they'll be slotted an early bowl game. Late September/early October for the regular season visit every-other-year would be perfect...that way you might get two very different visits in the same year, should you be headed to MB for a bowl.

Man, that is an excellent point. Kudos.

So, had this been in place this past season, would a path to the Belk Bowl have been a greater possibility?