3 More Bowls

[ASUGoose]

Reality of being in the Sun Belt is that 6-6 doesn't necessarily earn you a spot in a bowl game. I remember a few years back that Western Kentucky went 7-5 and did not receive a bowl bid. Our expectations need to be higher than .500 to earn a bowl berth based on our conference affliation. It may take at least 8 wins to guarantee a bowl berth coming out of the Sun Belt.

[MtnDevil95]

Reality of being in the Sun Belt is that 6-6 doesn't necessarily earn you a spot in a bowl game. I remember a few years back that Western Kentucky went 7-5 and did not receive a bowl bid. Our expectations need to be higher than .500 to earn a bowl berth based on our conference affliation. It may take at least 8 wins to guarantee a bowl berth coming out of the Sun Belt.

I agree with this. Even ACC teams are only deemed "bowl eligible" at 6 wins, but not guaranteed an invitation. Attendance plays are role in bowl invitations as well. If App holds home attendance north of 20k or 25k, and has good showing on road games, then we'll be more likely to get a berth than a team of equal record with lower attendance. For the bowl organizers it’s about TV ratings, and inviting teams that will put butts in the seats and heads in the beds of local hotels.

[bcoach]

Reality of being in the Sun Belt is that 6-6 doesn't necessarily earn you a spot in a bowl game. I remember a few years back that Western Kentucky went 7-5 and did not receive a bowl bid. Our expectations need to be higher than .500 to earn a bowl berth based on our conference affliation. It may take at least 8 wins to guarantee a bowl berth coming out of the Sun Belt.

I agree with this. Even ACC teams are only deemed "bowl eligible" at 6 wins, but not guaranteed an invitation. Attendance plays are role in bowl invitations as well. If App holds home attendance north of 20k or 25k, and has good showing on road games, then we'll be more likely to get a berth than a team of equal record with lower attendance. For the bowl organizers it’s about TV ratings, and inviting teams that will put butts in the seats and heads in the beds of local hotels.

MtnDevil95 got us to the truth of the matter. The reason for bowls is to make money for bowl organizers. They are looking for fans to buy tickets and fill rooms and restaurants. Tickets and rooms have become a problem over the years so now in most cases schools have to guarantee rooms and tickets. The bowl organizers are guaranteed their profit and the schools take the gamble. The more bowls the bigger the gamble. Again in the vast majority of the time it is not a reward for a good season but is still a win, win. The schools buy more practice time and a game, and the organizers make money. There are lots of reasons for bowls but in most bowls prestige or reward just is not one of them.

[GoAppsGo92]

Reality of being in the Sun Belt is that 6-6 doesn't necessarily earn you a spot in a bowl game. I remember a few years back that Western Kentucky went 7-5 and did not receive a bowl bid. Our expectations need to be higher than .500 to earn a bowl berth based on our conference affliation. It may take at least 8 wins to guarantee a bowl berth coming out of the Sun Belt.

Yes. This.

Given that the SBC appears to be a more challenging league than CUSA or MAC, and given the fact that at least 1-2 games per year will be against P5 schools, I'd say that 6-6 in FBS is harder to do than in FCS or D2. I think we will see for ourselves how hard it will be in time. And, as you stated, that record does not get us a guaranteed bowl birth in one of the 4 bowls that will take teams from the SBC.

I would take a bowl bid for a chance at a 7-6 season and some program exposure any day. Honestly, 4 tie-ins for the SBC is better than it was, but not as good as it should be. A number of bowl contracts are set to expire for CUSA in particular, and if the SBC can continue its OOC win history against the MAC and CUSA, and even get a team in the top 25, those contracts will have to include our new league.

[hapapp]

[quote="bcoach

Someone who bats .500 in baseball is setting the world on fire.

But a team who finishes at .500 won /lost is not.

Exactly, it is all relative to the situation at hand. Obviously, if our FH team had a .500 season that would be a great accomplishment. So, it is often apples to oranges.

[AppAttack]

A 7-5 or even a 6-6 App team could go to a bowl over many 8-4 Sun Belt teams.