Thought we could round up all the feelings, thoughts, and possibilities for post realignment.

Current SBC Bowl tie-ins:

1st pick: ESPN Bowl Pool
2nd pick: NOLA Bowl
3rd pick: ESPN Bowl Pool
4th pick: ESPN Bowl Pool
5th pick: Mobile Bowl



ESPN Bowl Pool options:

• Boca Raton Bowl (Boca Raton, FL)
• Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, AL)
• Cure Bowl (Orlando, FL)
• Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise, ID)
• SERVPRO First Responder Bowl (Dallas, TX)
• Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl (Frisco, TX)
• Myrtle Beach Bowl (Myrtle Beach, SC)
• New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque, NM)


With 14 teams we'll need 7 bowl tie-ins. Right now bowl contracts are through 2025. This of course is if CUSA doesn't die on the vine. If they do it's completely feasible that new bowl contracts would have to be inked by a good chunk of bowls.

I hope the SBC tells ESPN/Bahamas Bowl to pound sand. That's the one bowl I'm afraid will get associated with the SBC if CUSA croaks. Likewise, getting a Independence Bowl slot would be huge for the conference. Even if it's a rotating slot.

We need to lock down a couple of P5 bowl tie in.....at least one of them.

Why are 5 of our options in Texas or West?

(10-31-2021 10:33 AM)herdfan129 Wrote:  We need to lock down a couple of P5 bowl tie in.....at least one of them.

If ESPN is really going to pay Sun Belt schools what new AAC programs are getting and give us the same number of linear games, I'd think that P5 tie-in games are almost guaranteed to come. It's promoting your investment to extract the most value and the Sun Belt landing those games give us more visibility in bowl season which then carries over to the next regular season.

Being allowed 7 bowl tie-ins should allow for some southern bowl game that is against a SEC/ACC/B12 #9-11

The Independence Bowl will have to revise their current contract. BYU will be in the B12 bowls. That could open a spot up for the Sun Belt.

Otherwise, the best opportunities for SBC vs P5 in the bowl games is in the ESPN Bowl Pool. Which is exactly what the bowl pool is intended to do.

I'm sure we will pick up one of C-USA's tie ins. It would be really nice if we could get one that is currently going to the AAC.

After this realignment, it will be pretty ridiculous if we have seven tie ins, with none against P5's, while the MAC, MW, and a severely weakened AAC and C-USA do have P5 tie ins.

Last thought: I expect the New Orleans Bowl to eventually drop C-USA and replace with the AAC.

(10-31-2021 10:34 AM)ericsaid Wrote:  Why are 5 of our options in Texas or West?

My guess is that many of those developed under Benson because he had good contacts with those bowls from his WAC days.

If we could get our 4th or 5th team into the Birmingham Bowl against the 11th or so SEac team, I’d be up for that. Gives that off chance of some in state “G5” schools getting to play the big boys of their state.

Not on topic but kind of on topic. "IF" the CFP goes to 12, I hope there is a push for an NIT tournament for the 4 g4 champs plus some rule from the p5's. Maybe the 6th and 7th ACC team, 3rd and 4th big 12 team, 4th and 5th pac 12 team. Something like this...some kind of rules based NIT tournament. I would like to see the g4 champs get to continue the season with something to play for. A bowl tie in with 9th place ACC team doesnt move the needle for me. I would rather play the 1 mac champion vs the 7th place p5 because the argument of "they didn't care" gets old.

Ideally it would be the 12 highest rated teams from conferences willing to commit their teams.