So what are your thoughts on bowl alliances moving forward (2023) and beyond? They will have to change in Sun Belt's favor but when and which ones? Calling for open speculation here lol.

ESPN owns almost all the bowls.
ESPN owns SBC media rights.
ESPN will give SBC good bowls when contracts expire.

I think there will be a lot of AAC / SBC bowls in future.

I would really, really like at least one tie in with a P5. I think our best chance is with the Big 12, which will be at LEAST up to 12 schools from 10 (this needing more tie ins), but will also lose some leverage for tie ins against other P5's since they're losing their top brands. Basically, we're increasing in prestige, they're decreasing in prestige, and both are growing in number. They need each other.

I anticipate a Texas bowl or two, one with a MW team; tie ins all over the South with the MAC, AAC, the zombie CUSA if it survives, and independents; and hopefully a P5 bowl matchup anywhere, most likely against the Big 12.

(10-24-2021 09:57 AM)LaTex14 Wrote:  ESPN owns almost all the bowls.
ESPN owns SBC media rights.
ESPN will give SBC good bowls when contracts expire.

I think there will be a lot of AAC / SBC bowls in future.

I think ESPN will try to keep it flexible as much as possible. Just make the bowl pools bigger and they can place teams how they see fit.

(10-24-2021 10:36 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  I would really, really like at least one tie in with a P5. I think our best chance is with the Big 12, which will be at LEAST up to 12 schools from 10 (this needing more tie ins), but will also lose some leverage for tie ins against other P5's since they're losing their top brands. Basically, we're increasing in prestige, they're decreasing in prestige, and both are growing in number. They need each other.

I anticipate a Texas bowl or two, one with a MW team; tie ins all over the South with the MAC, AAC, the zombie CUSA if it survives, and independents; and hopefully a P5 bowl matchup anywhere, most likely against the Big 12.

Zombie CUSA. I like that. They should adopt it. I do hope they survive. We all need a doormat.

(10-24-2021 10:44 AM)OsageJ Wrote:  

(10-24-2021 10:36 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  I would really, really like at least one tie in with a P5. I think our best chance is with the Big 12, which will be at LEAST up to 12 schools from 10 (this needing more tie ins), but will also lose some leverage for tie ins against other P5's since they're losing their top brands. Basically, we're increasing in prestige, they're decreasing in prestige, and both are growing in number. They need each other.

I anticipate a Texas bowl or two, one with a MW team; tie ins all over the South with the MAC, AAC, the zombie CUSA if it survives, and independents; and hopefully a P5 bowl matchup anywhere, most likely against the Big 12.

Zombie CUSA. I like that. They should adopt it. I do hope they survive. We all need a doormat.

C-USA needs a rebrand more than any brand in the country.
They lost like 20 members in the last 20 years.

Horrible connotations with the brand.

(10-24-2021 09:57 AM)LaTex14 Wrote:  ESPN owns almost all the bowls.
ESPN owns SBC media rights.
ESPN will give SBC good bowls when contracts expire.

I think there will be a lot of AAC / SBC bowls in future.

ESPN owns 17 bowl games. While the Sun Belt has five tie-ins (Myrtle Beach, Cure, Lending Tree, New Orleans, Camellia), ESPN can put SBC teams in other bowl games.

That happened with the First Responder Bowl last year which featured Louisiana and UTSA.

Conference USA signed a six year deal in 2020 that guaranteed 7 Bowl tie-ins each year.

Bahamas Bowl v. MAC (2020-2025)
New Orleans Bowl v. SBC (2020-2025)

Independence Bowl v. BYU (2021 and 2025) (Secondary- 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024)

Hawaii Bowl v. MWC or AAC (2020, 2022, 2024)

The remaining Bowls (4-5 each year) will come from...

Lending Tree Bowl v. SBC or MAC
Armed Forces Bowl v. MWC, PAC 12, Big 12, Army, Navy
Birmingham Bowl v. SEC or AAC, At-Large
Boca Raton Bowl v. MAC or AAC
Camellia Bowl v. SBC or MAC
Cure Bowl v. AAC or SBC
Fenway Bowl v. AAC or ACC
First Responder Bowl v. ACC, Big 12 or AAC
Frisco Bowl v. MWC, SBC, MAC or AAC
Gasparilla Bowl v. ACC, PAC 12, Big 12, SEC, AAC, MAC, MWC, BYU or Army
Myrtle Beach Bowl v. MAC or SBC
New Mexico Bowl v. MWC

(10-24-2021 11:34 AM)NRGHerd Wrote:  Conference USA signed a six year deal in 2020 that guaranteed 7 Bowl tie-ins each year.

Bahamas Bowl v. MAC (2020-2025)
New Orleans Bowl v. SBC (2020-2025)

Independence Bowl v. BYU (2021 and 2025) (Secondary- 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024)

Hawaii Bowl v. MWC or AAC (2020, 2022, 2024)

The remaining Bowls (4-5 each year) will come from...

Lending Tree Bowl v. SBC or MAC
Armed Forces Bowl v. MWC, PAC 12, Big 12, Army, Navy
Birmingham Bowl v. SEC or AAC, At-Large
Boca Raton Bowl v. MAC or AAC
Camellia Bowl v. SBC or MAC
Cure Bowl v. AAC or SBC
Fenway Bowl v. AAC or ACC
First Responder Bowl v. ACC, Big 12 or AAC
Frisco Bowl v. MWC, SBC, MAC or AAC
Gasparilla Bowl v. ACC, PAC 12, Big 12, SEC, AAC, MAC, MWC, BYU or Army
Myrtle Beach Bowl v. MAC or SBC
New Mexico Bowl v. MWC

Do those agreements stay intact regardless of how many schools that it loses? I would imagine that if C-USA backloads with FCS / D2 startups the bowls would not be too pleased with those arrangements anymore.

(10-24-2021 11:39 AM)MusicEagle Wrote:  

(10-24-2021 11:34 AM)NRGHerd Wrote:  Conference USA signed a six year deal in 2020 that guaranteed 7 Bowl tie-ins each year.

Bahamas Bowl v. MAC (2020-2025)
New Orleans Bowl v. SBC (2020-2025)

Independence Bowl v. BYU (2021 and 2025) (Secondary- 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024)

Hawaii Bowl v. MWC or AAC (2020, 2022, 2024)

The remaining Bowls (4-5 each year) will come from...

Lending Tree Bowl v. SBC or MAC
Armed Forces Bowl v. MWC, PAC 12, Big 12, Army, Navy
Birmingham Bowl v. SEC or AAC, At-Large
Boca Raton Bowl v. MAC or AAC
Camellia Bowl v. SBC or MAC
Cure Bowl v. AAC or SBC
Fenway Bowl v. AAC or ACC
First Responder Bowl v. ACC, Big 12 or AAC
Frisco Bowl v. MWC, SBC, MAC or AAC
Gasparilla Bowl v. ACC, PAC 12, Big 12, SEC, AAC, MAC, MWC, BYU or Army
Myrtle Beach Bowl v. MAC or SBC
New Mexico Bowl v. MWC

Do those agreements stay intact regardless of how many schools that it loses? I would imagine that if C-USA backloads with FCS / D2 startups the bowls would not be too pleased with those arrangements anymore.

Bowls care about fan support. There are plenty of FCS schools with that available. Granted we don’t have an APP or GS available but some others that are decent.

(10-24-2021 11:39 AM)MusicEagle Wrote:  

(10-24-2021 11:34 AM)NRGHerd Wrote:  Conference USA signed a six year deal in 2020 that guaranteed 7 Bowl tie-ins each year.

Bahamas Bowl v. MAC (2020-2025)
New Orleans Bowl v. SBC (2020-2025)

Independence Bowl v. BYU (2021 and 2025) (Secondary- 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024)

Hawaii Bowl v. MWC or AAC (2020, 2022, 2024)

The remaining Bowls (4-5 each year) will come from...

Lending Tree Bowl v. SBC or MAC
Armed Forces Bowl v. MWC, PAC 12, Big 12, Army, Navy
Birmingham Bowl v. SEC or AAC, At-Large
Boca Raton Bowl v. MAC or AAC
Camellia Bowl v. SBC or MAC
Cure Bowl v. AAC or SBC
Fenway Bowl v. AAC or ACC
First Responder Bowl v. ACC, Big 12 or AAC
Frisco Bowl v. MWC, SBC, MAC or AAC
Gasparilla Bowl v. ACC, PAC 12, Big 12, SEC, AAC, MAC, MWC, BYU or Army
Myrtle Beach Bowl v. MAC or SBC
New Mexico Bowl v. MWC

Do those agreements stay intact regardless of how many schools that it loses? I would imagine that if C-USA backloads with FCS / D2 startups the bowls would not be too pleased with those arrangements anymore.

Yes and No. Bowl contracts usually go through 2025, but what will happen is many of those ESPN owned bowls who are contracted to potentially offer a spot to a CUSA team will instead swap those out to SBC teams.

If CUSA has to add a ton of FCS, they are going to have a lot of teams not eligible for bowls in 2023. Most of their tied bowls will start looking to get out of contracts. My guess is NOLA tries to get out and follow the AAC instead.

(10-24-2021 10:51 AM)LaTex14 Wrote:  C-USA needs a rebrand more than any brand in the country.
They lost like 20 members in the last 20 years.

Horrible connotations with the brand.

Not gonna lie. I’ll be a little mad if they finally give it a less sh**ty name after we’re gone.

(10-24-2021 11:43 AM)Ewglenn Wrote:  

(10-24-2021 11:39 AM)MusicEagle Wrote:  

(10-24-2021 11:34 AM)NRGHerd Wrote:  Conference USA signed a six year deal in 2020 that guaranteed 7 Bowl tie-ins each year.

Bahamas Bowl v. MAC (2020-2025)
New Orleans Bowl v. SBC (2020-2025)

Independence Bowl v. BYU (2021 and 2025) (Secondary- 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024)

Hawaii Bowl v. MWC or AAC (2020, 2022, 2024)

The remaining Bowls (4-5 each year) will come from...

Lending Tree Bowl v. SBC or MAC
Armed Forces Bowl v. MWC, PAC 12, Big 12, Army, Navy
Birmingham Bowl v. SEC or AAC, At-Large
Boca Raton Bowl v. MAC or AAC
Camellia Bowl v. SBC or MAC
Cure Bowl v. AAC or SBC
Fenway Bowl v. AAC or ACC
First Responder Bowl v. ACC, Big 12 or AAC
Frisco Bowl v. MWC, SBC, MAC or AAC
Gasparilla Bowl v. ACC, PAC 12, Big 12, SEC, AAC, MAC, MWC, BYU or Army
Myrtle Beach Bowl v. MAC or SBC
New Mexico Bowl v. MWC

Do those agreements stay intact regardless of how many schools that it loses? I would imagine that if C-USA backloads with FCS / D2 startups the bowls would not be too pleased with those arrangements anymore.

Bowls care about fan support. There are plenty of FCS schools with that available. Granted we don’t have an APP or GS available but some others that are decent.

Yes, but you won't have a ton of bowl eligible teams given NCAA rules on reclassification. You won't fill all your spots, and the way that most bowl contracts work is outs become available if a league doesn't fill its primary tie ins.

(10-24-2021 10:44 AM)OsageJ Wrote:  

(10-24-2021 10:36 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  I would really, really like at least one tie in with a P5. I think our best chance is with the Big 12, which will be at LEAST up to 12 schools from 10 (this needing more tie ins), but will also lose some leverage for tie ins against other P5's since they're losing their top brands. Basically, we're increasing in prestige, they're decreasing in prestige, and both are growing in number. They need each other.

I anticipate a Texas bowl or two, one with a MW team; tie ins all over the South with the MAC, AAC, the zombie CUSA if it survives, and independents; and hopefully a P5 bowl matchup anywhere, most likely against the Big 12.

Zombie CUSA. I like that. They should adopt it. I do hope they survive. We all need a doormat.

I absolutely agree.

I'm also not 100% sure whether the CFP, controlled by the P5, wouldn't find a way to keep for themselves CUSA's share of the revenue, rather than letting the SB/AAC/MW/MAC share it. That's why I think it might not serve the SB well for CUSA to go away.

The last two, maybe three, years of the bowl contracts will be interesting to see since cusa will not have enough teams to fulfill their allotment even if every team was bowl eligible. I think within 2 years we see all of cusa's secondary tie-ins dissolved and redistributed with most coming to the SBC.

(10-24-2021 11:49 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  

(10-24-2021 10:44 AM)OsageJ Wrote:  

(10-24-2021 10:36 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  I would really, really like at least one tie in with a P5. I think our best chance is with the Big 12, which will be at LEAST up to 12 schools from 10 (this needing more tie ins), but will also lose some leverage for tie ins against other P5's since they're losing their top brands. Basically, we're increasing in prestige, they're decreasing in prestige, and both are growing in number. They need each other.

I anticipate a Texas bowl or two, one with a MW team; tie ins all over the South with the MAC, AAC, the zombie CUSA if it survives, and independents; and hopefully a P5 bowl matchup anywhere, most likely against the Big 12.

Zombie CUSA. I like that. They should adopt it. I do hope they survive. We all need a doormat.

I absolutely agree.

I'm also not 100% sure whether the CFP, controlled by the P5, wouldn't find a way to keep for themselves CUSA's share of the revenue, rather than letting the SB/AAC/MW/MAC share it. That's why I think it might not serve the SB well for CUSA to go away.

Hopefully for MTSU’s sake we get some doormats too lol.

If the CFP expands to 12 in the coming years, and doesn’t utilize bowls as playoff sites, that would open up even more spots.

What I don't want to see is for C-USA to drag 6+ more schools into FBS football. I'm all in favor of a school like JMU, NDSU, etc. moving to FBS since they have a rich tradition and history of success. But when you start talking Tarleton State, McNeese State, Sam Houston State, etc. it just starts getting silly. There are enough FBS programs in Texas & Louisiana at this point.

The more schools get pulled into FBS, I think it accelerates attempts to break the FBS off into separate divisions (a.k.a., the "haves" and "have nots"). I know that there is a loose / unofficial distinction between P5 & G5 as it stands, but I'd rather keep that theoretical instead of a hard division.

(10-24-2021 11:56 AM)NRGHerd Wrote:  If the CFP expands to 12 in the coming years, and doesn’t utilize bowls as playoff sites, that would open up even more spots.

Of course, the reverse is also true. If they do utilize the bowls sites then there is going to be a shortage and being eligible isn't going to be good enough to get you into a bowl as a G5.

(10-24-2021 12:00 PM)WARDAWG93 Wrote:  

(10-24-2021 11:56 AM)NRGHerd Wrote:  If the CFP expands to 12 in the coming years, and doesn’t utilize bowls as playoff sites, that would open up even more spots.

Of course, the reverse is also true. If they do utilize the bowls sites then there is going to be a shortage and being eligible isn't going to be good enough to get you into a bowl as a G5.

Very true.