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| College football bowls | |
|---|---|
| Name | College football bowls |
| Caption | Rose Bowl Stadium, site of the Rose Bowl Game |
| Established | 1902 (modern era from 1916) |
| Sport | American football |
| Organizer | Various bowl committees and the College Football Playoff |
| Country | United States |
College football bowls are postseason American football contests held primarily in the United States that match university teams after the regular season. Originating in the early 20th century with exhibition games played by regional institutions, bowls evolved into major neutral-site events associated with traditions, television contracts, and championship determinations. Over time bowls have involved conferences such as the Big Ten Conference, Southeastern Conference, Big 12 Conference, Pac-12 Conference, and Atlantic Coast Conference, and institutions from the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision.
Bowl games trace to the 1902 Tournament of Roses matchup and the reestablished Rose Bowl Game in 1916, with early participation by universities like the University of Michigan, University of Washington, and University of Southern California. The 1930s and 1940s expansion included the Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Sun Bowl, reflecting growth in cities such as Miami, New Orleans, and El Paso. Postwar developments saw the proliferation of regional bowls and the involvement of conferences including the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten Conference, while television deals with networks like ABC (American TV network), NBC, and CBS broadcasting accelerated national exposure. The 1990s brought the Bowl Coalition, the Bowl Championship Series, and corporate sponsorship from companies like FedEx, Capital One, and Tostitos, setting the stage for the modern College Football Playoff era.
Bowl selection historically combined committee invitations, conference tie-ins, and rankings from entities such as the Associated Press, the Coaches Poll (USA Today/AFCA), and the College Football Playoff selection committee. Selection mechanics involve agreements between bowl committees in locations like Pasadena, California, Tampa, Florida, and Arlington, Texas and conferences including the Mountain West Conference and the Conference USA. Bowls provide guaranteed payouts negotiated with conferences and institutions through contracts administered by bodies such as the NCAA compliance offices and school athletics departments like those at Ohio State University and University of Alabama. Additionally, independent programs such as Army Black Knights football or Notre Dame Fighting Irish football navigate at-large arrangements or agreements with bowls and networks.
The College Football Playoff (CFP) instituted a four-team bracket to determine a national champion, selected by the CFP selection committee composed of administrators and former coaches from organizations like the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten Conference. The CFP rotates semifinals among the New Year's Six bowls—including the Rose Bowl Game, Sugar Bowl, and Orange Bowl—and stages the CFP National Championship at neutral sites such as AT&T Stadium and Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The CFP replaced the Bowl Championship Series that used polls and computer rankings involving entities like the BCS Computers and the AP Poll to pit top teams like Clemson Tigers football and Alabama Crimson Tide football in title contests.
The New Year's Six comprises the Rose Bowl Game, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl Classic, Fiesta Bowl, and Peach Bowl (Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl), which host CFP semifinals on a rotation and major postseason matchups featuring programs from the Big Ten Conference, SEC, Big 12 Conference, Pac-12 Conference, and ACC. Historic major bowls include the Rose Bowl Game (Pasadena), the Sugar Bowl (New Orleans), and the Orange Bowl (Miami Gardens), while traditional classics such as the Cotton Bowl Classic (Arlington) and Fiesta Bowl (Glendale) have produced landmark contests involving teams like the Oklahoma Sooners football and the Nebraska Cornhuskers football.
Conference tie-ins allocate bowl berths through contractual agreements between bowls and conferences, exemplified by arrangements among the Big Ten Conference, the Southeastern Conference, the Big 12 Conference, the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the Pac-12 Conference. These contracts specify selection order, revenue distribution, and minimum academic or competitive standards overseen by institutions such as University of Michigan and University of Florida. Television rights negotiated with networks like ESPN and Fox Sports influence bowl pairings and scheduling, while conference championship games in venues like Lucas Oil Stadium or Arrowhead Stadium impact team availability for bowls.
Bowl games generate local economic activity through tourism to host cities such as Tampa, Florida, New Orleans, Pasadena, California, and Atlanta, driven by spending on hotels, restaurants, and events coordinated with local convention bureaus and chambers of commerce. Corporate sponsorship from firms including Allstate, Chick-fil-A, Capital One, and Tostitos provides naming rights and marketing revenue, while media rights held by ESPN and legacy broadcasters contribute broadcast fees distributed via conference revenue-sharing models managed by conferences like the Big Ten Conference and the SEC. Economic debates involve city budgets, stadium financing for facilities such as Rose Bowl Stadium and Hard Rock Stadium, and university athletics department accounting practices at institutions like University of Miami.
Bowl records track appearances and wins by programs such as the University of Alabama, University of Southern California, Ohio State University, and University of Michigan, with coaches like Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, and Woody Hayes notable for postseason success. Individual awards connected to bowl performances include the Heisman Trophy alumni appearances and game MVP honors in bowls like the Rose Bowl Game and Sugar Bowl. Memorable moments include the 2006 Rose Bowl featuring the Texas Longhorns football versus the USC Trojans football, the dramatic finishes in the Orange Bowl, and historic upsets by programs such as the Auburn Tigers football and Boise State Broncos football in the Fiesta Bowl.
Category:College football postseason