Alan Verlander Resigns

[I-10east]

But a bigger problem is that the Gator has sunk to a third or fourth tier bowl. It was not that long ago that it was clearly in the second tier, along with the Citrus and Holiday bowl.

Eh, the Holiday Bowl with two unranked teams (Texas Tech vs Arizona State) being in a 'higher tier' than the Gator Bowl? I'm not gonna even bring up those other two Florida Bowls (Citrus, and Outback) that had less fans show up than the Gator Bowl...

Bottomline, the interest for most bowl games has vastly waned, and in an overwhelming majority, these games will continue to underachieve and flop. They need to incorporate a future expanded playoff system with these bowls. Hell, even some 'first tier' status bowls have been floundering far for the glory days. Talk about something that's very diluted, with every whistlestop having their own 'bowl'. With this internet generation, most people now are like 'who cares' outside of the National Championship in most cases.

   

[tufsu1]

^ I agree with you about the Holiday Bowl...but...

the Capital One (hasn't been Citrus in over 10 years) Bowl had 56,600 fans in a stadium that holds 65,000

the Outback Bowl had 51,000 fans in a stadium that holds 66,000

the Gator is listing 60,700 tickets distributed, but being there I can tell you that maybe 40,000 showed up

ticket prices for the Capital One and Outback are higher than the Gator...and payouts for both games are MUCH higher than the Gator Bowl

put it this way...SEC top team goes to BCS (Sugar), then Capital One, Outback, Cotton, Chick-Fil-A, and then Gator...and the Big 10 goes BCS (Rose), Capital One, Outback, Buffalo Wild Wings, and then Gator.

[I-10east]

the Capital One (hasn't been Citrus in over 10 years) Bowl had 56,600 fans in a stadium that holds 65,000

the Outback Bowl had 51,000 fans in a stadium that holds 66,000

From what I heard, those attendance numbers are very generous with that Florida rainstorm; That would be like saying 60,000 came to the Gator Bowl. These bowl games are waning very rapidly, and college football needs to find a way to incorporate playoffs, sooner than later.   

[copperfiend]

The game has gotten buried by being buried on ESPN2 on New Years Day. The SEC/Big Ten tie-in was supposed to help but all it's done is make it the 3rd best matchup on at the same time.

For the 90's and most of the 2000's, it was on NBC.

I did hear something interesting on the Frangie show. Assuming it's true, he said next year the Gator Bowl will be on January 2nd I believe, which is a Friday. At night and will be the only game on. Could help sales because I think alot of college fans (Not fans of either team) would rather stay home and watch the other games on than sit at Everbank Field.

[tufsu1]

the Capital One (hasn't been Citrus in over 10 years) Bowl had 56,600 fans in a stadium that holds 65,000

the Outback Bowl had 51,000 fans in a stadium that holds 66,000

From what I heard, those attendance numbers are very generous with that Florida rainstorm; That would be like saying 60,000 came to the Gator Bowl. These bowl games are waning very rapidly, and college football needs to find a way to incorporate playoffs, sooner than later.   

when we left the Gator Bowl, I caught the end of the other 2 games on TV...while Tampa's stadium didn't look full, the Citrus Bowl in Orlando did.

and, in case you didn't know, the 4-team playoff system starts this year (2014).

[edjax]

Also I believe starting next year I read where outside of the playoff all the SEC schools will be lumped into a pool.  The SEC will decide which team goes to which bowl. By lumping into a pool it is my understanding that the individual bowl payout will not be as important in the selection but the individual game match ups will be most important for generating attendance and excitement.

[edjax]

The following is what I was referring to from the Times-Union article:


With the conclusion of the game between Nebraska and Georgia, the Gator Bowl's four-year deal matching a Big Ten team against an SEC team comes to a close. Next year begins a six-year deal in which the Gator will match an SEC team (chosen by the conference) against a Big Ten team in three years and an ACC team in three years.

The Gator Bowl will join a six-bowl pool of games with SEC ties, with commissioner Mike Slive making the final decision after input from the bowls and schools. Payout will no longer be a criteria for bowl selection.


Now I am not sure how they will pull it off as sure seems those sponsors who provide the most money will sure want the bowl with their name on it having the best teams.  So we shall see how it works out realistically. 

[mtraininjax]

with commissioner Mike Slive making the final decision after input from the bowls and schools.

Why not just give him the keys to the city while we are at it? He has the power to decide who goes where.

Bowl games should not be counted on to provide the economic prowess they once did and with tepid fans based on matchups, its a wonder if any of the games will ever be a sellout.

[edjax]

Or perhaps give it a try as obviously with all the comments regarding attendance issues the current set up is not working. 

[mbwright]

it should be easy.  The top 4 get a playoff, then match 5 with 6, 7 with 8, and so on.  This would be better since you won't have number 6 against unranked, and would have closer games that would be more interesting. I know that this would mean a possible match up with teams in the same conference.

[mtraininjax]

Or perhaps give it a try as obviously with all the comments regarding attendance issues the current set up is not working.

Because giving absolute power to one person is the right thing to do.

[I-10east]

and, in case you didn't know, the 4-team playoff system starts this year (2014).

Yeah I know. That's why I was stressing further expanding the playoffs within college football's top ranked teams. The 4 team playoff is a good start, but two games is far from solving the many problems with these upper-tier bowls. I do understand that nothing is ever gonna be perfect, put 2014 will still be a guessing game to a certain extent.     

[edjax]

Or perhaps give it a try as obviously with all the comments regarding attendance issues the current set up is not working.

Because giving absolute power to one person is the right thing to do.

And even you noted he would be making the decision with input from the bowl representatives, hardly absolute power.  Carry on.

[mtraininjax]

And even you noted he would be making the decision with input from the bowl representatives, hardly absolute power.  Carry on.

That worked well for Tampa. They got LSU for a New Years Day bowl game, and Texas A&M was pushed to a NYE bowl game all because Slive lobbied for it. Yeah, in that case the bowl reps made a difference. All the bowl cities and organizations are at the mercy of the conferences. In particular, the Presidents of the conferences. They might as well be the heads of the networks during college bowl season, picking and choosing who goes where. Cities have lost the power.

[edjax]

I think the cities lost their power when they started selling their bowls to the sponsors.