Birmingham Bowl

[mike87]

They will need to come up with a punishment for eligible teams that decline unless there is a valid excuse. But that would probably drive the powerful schools to form their own league away from the ncaa/rules.

Win - Win.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

At the beginning of each season, every school knows the playing ground. You win enough games, you are potentially in the cfp. If you have a decent record, you will be on invited to a bowl game. You also know, that depending on your record, you may not be invited to an elite bowl. You also know that there is potential that you may be invited to a bowl that you may not make money as a result of whatever bowl you are in invited. These rules are known. It is bullshit to opt out of a bowl game because you did not make the cfp or you did not get the bowl of choice.

On the idea of players but playing in games in their best interest... So, players should pick and choose games to play. Oh, I am not going to play against Lindenwood in an OOC game because it is meaningless.
In addition, companies that sponsor the bowls spend quite a bit of money to plan and prep. Do, yes, teams should be penalized in some form or fashion they opt out. I believe you opt out only if not enough players to play the game.

IMO, no bowl game is meaningless. An established player gets another opportunity to show talent and some young players get reps. You can find positives in many situations.
Overall, I am glad App. St. stepped up and is deciding to play.

I do prefer to see players and coaches finish the season, the entire season, but I would never suggest a player play in a sport that can injure you like football can because a company bought some adds and sponsorships.

They can get injured in games 1-12, 13. They know what they signed up for.

Sure, but they are there out of guilt due to a corporate sponsor, I would hope not. I am not watching games just because of a corporate sponsor. Those corporations knew what they signed up for.

[AppinVA]

At the beginning of each season, every school knows the playing ground. You win enough games, you are potentially in the cfp. If you have a decent record, you will be on invited to a bowl game. You also know, that depending on your record, you may not be invited to an elite bowl. You also know that there is potential that you may be invited to a bowl that you may not make money as a result of whatever bowl you are in invited. These rules are known. It is bullshit to opt out of a bowl game because you did not make the cfp or you did not get the bowl of choice.

On the idea of players but playing in games in their best interest... So, players should pick and choose games to play. Oh, I am not going to play against Lindenwood in an OOC game because it is meaningless.
In addition, companies that sponsor the bowls spend quite a bit of money to plan and prep. Do, yes, teams should be penalized in some form or fashion they opt out. I believe you opt out only if not enough players to play the game.

IMO, no bowl game is meaningless. An established player gets another opportunity to show talent and some young players get reps. You can find positives in many situations.
Overall, I am glad App. St. stepped up and is deciding to play.

I do prefer to see players and coaches finish the season, the entire season, but I would never suggest a player play in a sport that can injure you like football can because a company bought some adds and sponsorships.

They can get injured in games 1-12, 13. They know what they signed up for.

Sure, but they are there out of guilt due to a corporate sponsor, I would hope. I am not watching games just because of a corporate sponsor. Those corporations knew what they signed up for.

I don’t see a YouTube clip of Mayor Quimby saying, “We have major corporations sponsoring this event.”

It is on a yarn, though.

https://www.getyarn.io/yarn-clip/1ea79c ... 312f9c6be7

[BambooRdApp]

At the beginning of each season, every school knows the playing ground. You win enough games, you are potentially in the cfp. If you have a decent record, you will be on invited to a bowl game. You also know, that depending on your record, you may not be invited to an elite bowl. You also know that there is potential that you may be invited to a bowl that you may not make money as a result of whatever bowl you are in invited. These rules are known. It is bullshit to opt out of a bowl game because you did not make the cfp or you did not get the bowl of choice.

On the idea of players but playing in games in their best interest... So, players should pick and choose games to play. Oh, I am not going to play against Lindenwood in an OOC game because it is meaningless.
In addition, companies that sponsor the bowls spend quite a bit of money to plan and prep. Do, yes, teams should be penalized in some form or fashion they opt out. I believe you opt out only if not enough players to play the game.

IMO, no bowl game is meaningless. An established player gets another opportunity to show talent and some young players get reps. You can find positives in many situations.
Overall, I am glad App. St. stepped up and is deciding to play.

I do prefer to see players and coaches finish the season, the entire season, but I would never suggest a player play in a sport that can injure you like football can because a company bought some adds and sponsorships.

They can get injured in games 1-12, 13. They know what they signed up for.

Sure, but they are there out of guilt due to a corporate sponsor, I would hope. I am not watching games just because of a corporate sponsor. Those corporations knew what they signed up for.

Many stadiums have corp sponsors on the stadium, a separate one for the field. So, players not signing up for that in games 1-12, 13.
The corporate sponsor for a bowl signed up on the expectation that bowl eligible teams will show up and play...and there were enough to do so...until the bowl eligible teams backed out. Yes, there should be punishment for back outs. If people want less bowls, so be it. However, in 2025, it appears there were enough bowl eligible teams until the back outs. So, in theory, there were enough bowls and teams to play..

[DoesntEvenGoHere]

Problem with bowl games is TV Networks, Corporate Sponsors, and Athletic Departments.

Players have the option to quit playing at any point in their athletic career. Now, coaching staffs have the ability to cut/pull scholarships from current players.

If an athlete wants to opt out to protect themselves from risk of injury - potentially hampering their future endeavors (logical or not, up to individual discretion) then so be it. A senior or athlete who has exhausted eligibility can’t really be punished.

Undergrads or athletes with remaining eligibility can have scholarships pulled or be docked NIL payments if it’s in their contracts.

Problem is - the athletes, the coaches, the schools, and the corporate sponsors all view bowl games differently. Especially the bottom half, if not more, of the tiered bowl system.

Players see these as a cash grab for schools, coaches, and sponsors.

Coaches see these as evaluation periods & a bowl bonus.

Athletic departments see this as a bigger payout for each conference member.

Sponsors see this as a cash grab opportunity.

It’s the same issue in a different setting to the basis of how NIL started. Put the money in the players pockets & you’ll have less teams opt out. Why would players care about a meaningless bowl game if they don’t get a cut? Pride? Sure. But hasn’t NIL & the portal shown everyone by now that while it sounds great it’s not how the world works?

[AtlAppMan]

The UGA NIL fund is suing one of the ex-players that transferred to Vandy at end of last year claiming he breeched his NIL contract by leaving early. I assume the NIL contract was a multi-year deal. This is where it is going. If you sign a NIL contract with a duration of time, and leave prematurely, player is on hook for that money. As the NIL and schools move more into a business relationship and players are under a financial contract, there will be teeth. That is how the leaving early/not playing through season can be resolved. I do agree that there is a season and there should be some obligation to play through season, barring injury, should be enforced.

[ASUTodd]

The UGA NIL fund is suing one of the ex-players that transferred to Vandy at end of last year claiming he breeched his NIL contract by leaving early. I assume the NIL contract was a multi-year deal. This is where it is going. If you sign a NIL contract with a duration of time, and leave prematurely, player is on hook for that money. As the NIL and schools move more into a business relationship and players are under a financial contract, there will be teeth. That is how the leaving early/not playing through season can be resolved. I do agree that there is a season and there should be some obligation to play through season, barring injury, should be enforced.

He only got about 30-40 thousand oof his NIL and now they want to recoup 399+ thousand in damages since that was what the NIL was for. In some ways I hope they win but part of me could careless if they win. Contracts have become a joke these days.

[Cro-Magnon App]

I don’t believe many players care about winning some hardware to put in the trophy case nowadays.

I don’t believe bowl payouts are as much as many think because of the expenses. I don’t know if any team that plays in a bowl game can do so under half a million in expenses. And that’s going on the cheap.

These bills committees need to take notes. If a team is invited to their bowl and turns it down, maybe I wouldn’t invite them ever again. I know there are tie-ins with conferences, but just saying.

Notre Dame has hurt their precious image with all the crying they are doing.

[AtlAppMan]

The UGA NIL fund is suing one of the ex-players that transferred to Vandy at end of last year claiming he breeched his NIL contract by leaving early. I assume the NIL contract was a multi-year deal. This is where it is going. If you sign a NIL contract with a duration of time, and leave prematurely, player is on hook for that money. As the NIL and schools move more into a business relationship and players are under a financial contract, there will be teeth. That is how the leaving early/not playing through season can be resolved. I do agree that there is a season and there should be some obligation to play through season, barring injury, should be enforced.

He only got about 30-40 thousand oof his NIL and now they want to recoup 399+ thousand in damages since that was what the NIL was for. In some ways I hope they win but part of me could careless if they win. Contracts have become a joke these days.

Contracts won't be a joke if he ends up with nothing and other players see it. UGA NIL fund has the money to spend to punish a player that left them. The player will end up paying attorneys and end up with nothing. We know UGA NIL started with statement that they want all their money back ($399k) and will agree to something less. I think this was more about making a statement than the actual money. Future players, leave us early and you will lose your NIL money. Maybe it takes a bit of that to teach some lessons.

[biggie]

They will need to come up with a punishment for eligible teams that decline unless there is a valid excuse. But that would probably drive the powerful schools to form their own league away from the ncaa/rules.

Win - Win.

Except it pushes anyone not in the top P3 confs out of the big leagues then. Revenue all goes to the big schools and not to those left behind.

[JTApps1]

They will need to come up with a punishment for eligible teams that decline unless there is a valid excuse. But that would probably drive the powerful schools to form their own league away from the ncaa/rules.

ESPN owns most of the bowls and has a MAJOR part in the CFP. I'm sure they could influence a decision like this.

[AppWyo]

Expand the playoffs now, 32 team bracket anyone?

[BambooRdApp]

Ticket information on how to buy tickets has been emailed. Let's show up.. Forget the records. This is Stink!!
Deeper Than Hate II

[AppStFan1]

What if that team is good enough to make the playoff the next year?

Womp. Womp.

I was specifically thinking about ND when I said an opt-out should include a ban the following year, not the handful of 5-7 schools ahead of us in the APR.

You wanna go home and cry because you didn't make the playoffs?? You get an extra year to think about how badly the committee hurt your little feelings.

If you dont finish the regular season bowl-eligible, you shouldn't be penalized for mothballing your locker room and transitioning to off-season mode.

I am no apologist for Notre Dame. They benefited from the ACC in 2020 when the ACC could have forced them to join the league and they did not do that. Notre Dame gets to keep all the money when they make a bowl game unlike everyone else who shares it. Notre Dame has no reason to cry at all. They should be forced to join a league or share their CFP revenue with all other independent teams or ACC teams. They have been an exception to the rule and I don't think it is fair. However, they should not be forced to make ESPN happy and give them programming if they don't want to either. This whole bowl schedule and CFP schedule is based on what benefits ESPN the most and not the schools and players. The National Championship game should be played on January 1st, 2nd, or 3rd and the season be over but they spread all this out just to benefit ESPN. No school should be forced to line the pockets of ESPN if they don't want to.

[bcoach]

What if that team is good enough to make the playoff the next year?

Womp. Womp.

I was specifically thinking about ND when I said an opt-out should include a ban the following year, not the handful of 5-7 schools ahead of us in the APR.

You wanna go home and cry because you didn't make the playoffs?? You get an extra year to think about how badly the committee hurt your little feelings.

If you dont finish the regular season bowl-eligible, you shouldn't be penalized for mothballing your locker room and transitioning to off-season mode.

Why?

[RaleighApp27609]

I don’t believe many players care about winning some hardware to put in the trophy case nowadays.

Disagree with this one point you made. I absolutely believe the overwhelming majority of guys in the app locker room if not all of them do care about winning a sunbelt conference championship.

[T-Dog]

Dowell was on the Josh Graham Show today. Said if we had to play in a Walmart parking lot, we'd do it. Said he called 4-5 seniors before accepting and they were all for playing.

[AppinVA]

Dowell was on the Josh Graham Show today. Said if we had to play in a Walmart parking lot, we'd do it. Said he called 4-5 seniors before accepting and they were all for playing.

I like that attitude.

[Pisgahman1]

Anyone get a purchase notification of tickets requested for Bowl back from school?

[wb247]

What if that team is good enough to make the playoff the next year?

Womp. Womp.

I was specifically thinking about ND when I said an opt-out should include a ban the following year, not the handful of 5-7 schools ahead of us in the APR.

You wanna go home and cry because you didn't make the playoffs?? You get an extra year to think about how badly the committee hurt your little feelings.

If you dont finish the regular season bowl-eligible, you shouldn't be penalized for mothballing your locker room and transitioning to off-season mode.

I am no apologist for Notre Dame. They benefited from the ACC in 2020 when the ACC could have forced them to join the league and they did not do that. Notre Dame gets to keep all the money when they make a bowl game unlike everyone else who shares it. Notre Dame has no reason to cry at all. They should be forced to join a league or share their CFP revenue with all other independent teams or ACC teams. They have been an exception to the rule and I don't think it is fair. However, they should not be forced to make ESPN happy and give them programming if they don't want to either. This whole bowl schedule and CFP schedule is based on what benefits ESPN the most and not the schools and players. The National Championship game should be played on January 1st, 2nd, or 3rd and the season be over but they spread all this out just to benefit ESPN. No school should be forced to line the pockets of ESPN if they don't want to.

100% ND is in the NBC camp. They know who butters their bread.