The BCS is Hit by the Economy
November 28, 2008 by Allison Boyer
Filed under Football
Earlier this fall, I reported on how donors are giving less money to colleges due to the floundering economy. That’s not the only way the financial health of this country is affecting the BCS through. With the lack of disposable income, many of the second-tier bowls are at risk.
Currently, there are 34 bowl games, meaning that 68 teams play in televised games. Since 2002, the NCAA has introduced 11 new games, including 2 premiering this year – the EagleBank Bowl in D.C. and the St. Petersburg Bowl in Florida. Only three have been discontinued in that time.
To start a bowl, you need a license, a stadium, a company willing to sponsor the game, an agreement with two major NCAA-f conferences, and a TV network willing to televise the event. With belts across the country tightening, all of that might be harder to come by next year and in future years. Bowls try to match the location of their game with the location of the conferences they cater to, but that’s not always possible. It is becoming increasingly hard for some teams to travel to bowls, as well as pay for all of the tickets they are required to sell, many of which are never resold to fans.
People just aren’t traveling enough, and bowl games are suffering. I don’t care how much you love and support your team…sometimes, it is just not feasible to attend the bowl game.
Of course, this wouldn’t be such a problem if there was a playoff system instead…
Just sayin’…
Picture via Newscom.
