Great writeup in the Dallas Observer on how bowl’s really work and why decision maker’s won’t change.
And for college football programs, those losses are staggering.
Last year, the nation’s bowls paid schools roughly $270 million. Just for playing middlemen and providing 70-degree temperatures, bowl execs grabbed a larger cut, north of $300 million.
Even bowl apologists admit that by implementing a playoff system — like every other NCAA sport does — schools could generate three to four times what they’re bringing home now. That’s because TV networks will pay far more for a playoff game than they will for straight-to-DVD thrillers like the Beef O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl.
Under a playoff system, the schools’ collective take might even approach $1 billion annually. It’s the kind of money that could fill budget gaps in nearly every Division I athletic department.
Yet there’s one small barrier that stands in the way: A playoff system would ensure that schools would be taking home the money, not the insiders who make these decisions. So college football is left with lopsided accords like Minnesota’s. When the Gophers were requiring a Big 10 bailout for those large red numbers in Tempe, Insight CEO John Junker was paying himself nearly $600,000 a year, with added perks like country club memberships as far away as Oregon and Oklahoma.
The salaries of bowl “executives” and their inside deals with hotels is eyebrow raising. A little too reminiscent of Wall Street bonuses and golden parachutes if you ask me.
