https://www.cbssports.com/college-footba...-24-teams/

Interesting quotes:

“ "I would say that it's too soon to predict the number of bowl games moving forward," Carparelli told CBS Sports. "But I think it's safe to say that, as a complementary part of college football's postseason, there will still be more teams playing in bowl games than are participating in the playoff."

He added: "The bowl system is not going anywhere."

The bowl system might not disappear, but it could change drastically.”


“ But live sports remain a major ratings win for networks, making bowl games valuable inventory. Non-playoff bowls on ESPN's networks averaged 3.1 million viewers last season, up 13% from the year before. It was the highest non-playoff average since the 2015-16 season.”

“ ESPN's direct relationship with the system also helps steer the future. ESPN Events owns and operates 17 bowl games. Carparelli said those games "are a really important part of bowl season" and that ESPN Events as an enterprise "remains very profitable for ESPN."

"So I think we should expect to see the majority of those games continue," he said.”

You know, if you think about it, December and January is an exciting time of year in college football. And with the expanded playoff, you're going to have four or five rounds that are spaced 10 days apart. I don't think the television networks or the fans want to go 10 days with no college football at the height of the season."

Good to hear Bowls should be staying.

(10-26-2026 07:49 PM)OsageJ Wrote:  Good to hear Bowls should be staying.

As I recall, the Independence Bowl was created for the champion of the Southland Conference because in 1975 an 11-0 Arkansas State team was denied a bowl bid by the then 13 bowls, I think there was. But, ASU never won the Southland Conference again. McNeese played in the first I Bowl in 1976, Tech played in the next two, then McNeese again.

So, just as the I Bowl was created to right a wrong, such bowls will continue for that same reason.

There will be the CFB playoffs, a G6 playoff, and bowls for the rest. College football is too valuable of a TV product for ESPN and others. They need inventory.

(10-27-2026 08:38 AM)Tech80 Wrote:  

(10-26-2026 07:49 PM)OsageJ Wrote:  Good to hear Bowls should be staying.

As I recall, the Independence Bowl was created for the champion of the Southland Conference because in 1975 an 11-0 Arkansas State team was denied a bowl bid by the then 13 bowls, I think there was. But, ASU never won the Southland Conference again. McNeese played in the first I Bowl in 1976, Tech played in the next two, then McNeese again.

So, just as the I Bowl was created to right a wrong, such bowls will continue for that same reason.

Somehow before I kick off I hope stAte finally plays in the Independence Bowl. As old as I am they need to get a.move on!

(10-26-2026 07:49 PM)OsageJ Wrote:  Good to hear Bowls should be staying.

I would say the most pressure is going to be on some of the lower tier P4 games with the addition of another 12 P4 teams (6 bowls worth) going into the playoff.

Whether the G6 can retain a few of these games remains to be seen. P4 also have a habit of oversigning bowl games which ultimately are filled by G6 schools. Then of course their are the NIL walkouts in recent years over bowl games.

It could be time to consider 7-5 records for bowl games w/ 6-6 backups. That would close some of the surplus games down.

(10-27-2026 12:10 PM)OsageJ Wrote:  

(10-27-2026 08:38 AM)Tech80 Wrote:  

(10-26-2026 07:49 PM)OsageJ Wrote:  Good to hear Bowls should be staying.

As I recall, the Independence Bowl was created for the champion of the Southland Conference because in 1975 an 11-0 Arkansas State team was denied a bowl bid by the then 13 bowls, I think there was. But, ASU never won the Southland Conference again. McNeese played in the first I Bowl in 1976, Tech played in the next two, then McNeese again.

So, just as the I Bowl was created to right a wrong, such bowls will continue for that same reason.

Somehow before I kick off I hope stAte finally plays in the Independence Bowl. As old as I am they need to get a.move on!

Quote:5 Independence Bowl W 16–14 December 13, 1980 1980 McNeese State Cowboys Independence Stadium Shreveport, LA 42,600 Bobby Collins [5]
6 Tangerine Bowl L 17–19 December 19, 1981 1981 Missouri Tigers Orlando Stadium Orlando, FL 50,045 Bobby Collins [6]
7 Independence Bowl W 38–18 December 23, 1988 1988 UTEP Miners Independence Stadium Shreveport, LA 20,242

made all these trips in the wayback ... orange futures took a major hit, like our buzzards that day (in the teens in Orlando ... being from StL, it was just another day for my crazy arse) ... Shreveport was a hop, skip, and a jump from the 'burg...

#whenBowlLivesMattered #NastyBunch

(10-27-2026 08:38 AM)Tech80 Wrote:  

(10-26-2026 07:49 PM)OsageJ Wrote:  Good to hear Bowls should be staying.

As I recall, the Independence Bowl was created for the champion of the Southland Conference because in 1975 an 11-0 Arkansas State team was denied a bowl bid by the then 13 bowls, I think there was. But, ASU never won the Southland Conference again. McNeese played in the first I Bowl in 1976, Tech played in the next two, then McNeese again.

So, just as the I Bowl was created to right a wrong, such bowls will continue for that same reason.

This is scary insane, D80. I just wrote a post about this exact subject on another thread honoring the 1975 ASU Indians, who finished the season 11-0 and were denied a bowl. And I hadn't seen your post at all.

(10-31-2026 08:25 PM)HogDawg Wrote:  

(10-27-2026 08:38 AM)Tech80 Wrote:  

(10-26-2026 07:49 PM)OsageJ Wrote:  Good to hear Bowls should be staying.

As I recall, the Independence Bowl was created for the champion of the Southland Conference because in 1975 an 11-0 Arkansas State team was denied a bowl bid by the then 13 bowls, I think there was. But, ASU never won the Southland Conference again. McNeese played in the first I Bowl in 1976, Tech played in the next two, then McNeese again.

So, just as the I Bowl was created to right a wrong, such bowls will continue for that same reason.

This is scary insane, D80. I just wrote a post about this exact subject on another thread honoring the 1975 ASU Indians, who finished the season 11-0 and were denied a bowl. And I hadn't seen your post at all.

Well, great minds think alike.

(10-27-2026 08:38 AM)Tech80 Wrote:  

(10-26-2026 07:49 PM)OsageJ Wrote:  Good to hear Bowls should be staying.

As I recall, the Independence Bowl was created for the champion of the Southland Conference because in 1975 an 11-0 Arkansas State team was denied a bowl bid by the then 13 bowls, I think there was. But, ASU never won the Southland Conference again. McNeese played in the first I Bowl in 1976, Tech played in the next two, then McNeese again.

So, just as the I Bowl was created to right a wrong, such bowls will continue for that same reason.

Arkansas State won seven Southland Conference football championships: 1968, 1969, 1970, 1975, 1978, 1985, and 1986.

The 1978 title was shared with Louisiana Tech; the other six were outright championships.

Arkansas State won its final Southland title in 1986, its last season in the conference, and advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA national championship game that year and that SOB Tracy Ham of Georgia Southern beat our ass.


Louisiana Tech won eight Southland Conference football championships: 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1982, and 1984—one more than Arkansas State’s seven.



Tech and stAte would go at it back in the day.

We both moved up to D1 in 1975 and we both left the Southland in '87, and La Tech made it back to 1-A '89 and stAte in '92.

Unfortunately stAte used the ULM funding plan when we moved back up and about a dozen years of garbage followed.