Unfortunately it's time to make the non-playoff bowls...

@LakeGator approves of this message.

 

But but but the extra practices.......

 

That’s a loser’s position, which is unsurprising given where we are right now. What we need to do, whether with this staff or the next, is get to a place where the last thing any of our players would want is to miss a game with their teammates. When you’ll know we’re actually on the way up again is when we make a bowl and all of our players decide to play.

 

Heh? Other than a playoff game, there will be NO BOWL where all our players play. More than ever, the bowls are meaningless. For the players, they are not a reward; just more work they have to do. DI football is and has been dumb for so long. They can get it right at the lower levels, but not for DI because $$$$$$$$$$. The bowl system is corrupted and the game itself is corrupted now with NIL/portal.

If they put the bowls in preseason, some would complain that there's less tourism incentive (folks like to travel to warm places in Dec/Jan). Then again, the $ is pretty much all about TV revenue now, right? The bowls need to be blown up. The games mean nothing and the product has deteriorated to complete suckage. And yes, I'm in full on "Bah Humbug" mode.

 

Agreed with “Bah Humbug” mode. Agreed that’s the world UF currently lives in. Disagreed that’s the world we should or could have.

 

Game is played, stats should count, they should go back and retroactively adds stats from bowl games back in from before they counted.

 

Why not find a way to transition the non-playoff bowls into a week zero kickoff fest to open the following season? That would put an end to the damage done by all the opting out, start the season off with a bigger bang, and it would make rivalry week everyone's bowl game.

 

That ship sailed as this isn't a mindset in most programs anymore. They don't want to miss a $. But to be fair given the financial situations many football players come from I really don't blame them. Bowl games literally trot out teams that are .500 for postseason play. Nobody thinks that type of game matters.

If you want to stop opt outs you'd need monster insurance policies based on expected future earnings which again I think is a smart decision by the players.

Would you rather win the poulan weed eater bowl or ensure you remain healthy enough to earn generational wealth for your family that likely scrapes by paycheck to paycheck? Personally I'd play the bowl game but wouldn't ever hold it against someone if they made the opposite choice.

 

Or just don’t pay players unless they are available to play in all games

 

Bowls are never meaningless. And venture to say we don’t have a bunch of first or second round draft picks so I think most of our guys would play or at least you would hope they would

 

GA Tech played hard.

These kids play the game
Don’t be such a Debbie downer

 

Sure you shouldn't be paying players to play regardless. They should be making money from their Name, Image and Likeness, maybe we could call it NIL. If that happened bowl games would likely be opportunities for both teams (additional practice) and players able to sell more NIL merchandise.

The way it is now there is really no tangible benefit to players to participate in bowls outside the top few. In fact there's really only negative outcomes and one positive (team wins) that isn't really motivating for the Slim Jim Meatstick Bowl.

 

Y’all just wait. Players are already transferring from playoff teams. They will opt out in playoff games too. These NIL contracts will need to reflect participation in these bowl games.

 

I think players who “opt out” should have to repay the full cost of their scholarship for their last semester since they failed to fully meet their obligations. That way, only those guaranteed to make serious money would make the selfish choice.

 

Bowl games including CFP are not controlled by the NCAA or the universities.

They are invitations by 3rd parties.

The do not fall under the scholarship. So players opting out can not be reprimanded.

 

Scholarships are controlled by the universities, which opt to accept bowl game invitations and receive revenue thereof. It may be a "rip the bandaid off" scenario, where UAAs are afraid to implement such a policy, as others will use it against them in recruiting. If a handful of cfb programs had a "play or no scholarship" policy, perhaps others would follow.

 

But who does it really affect?
Those in the portal don't care and neither do those going pro.

 

The players opting out might care if they have to pay the value of the scholarship back. Perhaps the punitive nature of the policy prevents it from happening. Nearly all scholarships have requirements for continuation, but they probably don't expect payback in arrears.