'Tis The Season - It's Time For College Football Bowl Game Season
The 5 things you need to know about the all-consuming time of year.
While you might be in the midst of holiday shopping season, others are immersed in college football bowl game season.
This is it,
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. If the Oscars have the most coveted swag bags, bowl games are a close second. Players cannot be paid to play in the games but they can take home some great loot valued up to but not exceeding $550. Gifts this year include a cowboy hat, a life-sized decal for each participant of his likeness, a GoPro and for the first time ever at the Idaho Potato Bowl, fanny packs. TOUCHDOWN IN THE GIFT DEPARTMENT
2. What’s in a name? Well for bowl games, it’s big money. The committees will do just about anything to please their title sponsors including naming the game itself something odd. The most memorable bowl game names this season roll off the tongue like the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl, Cheez-It Bowl, Taxslayer Bowl and the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. And yes, there used to be a game called the Salad Bowl. HOW LONG UNTIL WE HAVE THE SMOKE-A BOWL?
3. Unless a player is playing in the national championship game, families cannot receive any financial assistance to travel to a bowl game, per NCAA rules. This year Heisman Trophy finalist from Ohio State, Chase Young, was suspended for taking a loan from a family friend to fly his girlfriend out to the Rose Bowl game in early 2019. WANNA GET AWAY?
4. Not all teams are invited to a bowl game. A team has to have a .500-plus record to be considered bowl eligible. The TV exposure, additional revenue and chance at a title all come with a price tag – winning. NO PARTICIPATION TROPHIES HERE
5. The top four teams in the country will play each other on Saturday, January 28 in either the Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, AZ) or the Peach Bowl (Atlanta). The winner of those two games will play each other in the National Championship Game on January 13. The other bowl games are for pride and money for the program, but will not impact a team’s overall rating. BOWLED OVER
Treat Yo Self
Like the jelly of the month club, knowing what to say in the sports conversation is the gift that keeps on giving all year long.
Like the jelly of the month club, knowing what to say in the sports conversation is the gift that keeps on giving all year long.
#winning,
The Last Night’s Game Team
PS – Looking for a way to take your tailgate beer game to a whole new level? Today’s Tailgate Treat is exactly what you’re looking for.
NFL (NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE)
America loves a great comeback story. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is headed back to the field eight weeks after breaking his collarbone. He’ll return with a few extra plates and screws in his surgically repaired collarbone to help his team, which is on the verge of the playoffs, finish out the season.
When you can't fit one more thing into your weekend. Starting this weekend the NFL will play two games to on Saturday. You can now catch an NFL game on Monday, Saturday or Sunday. If you’re playing in a fantasy football league, don’t forget to set your rosters. (FYI - Yesterday was the last Thursday Night Football game of the regular season).
MLB (MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL)
When decisions of the head and the heart collide. The St. Louis Cardinals were looking to make a trade and it seemed outfielder Stephen Piscotty was the guy. Piscotty missed some of last season to spend time with his mom who was diagnosed with ALS. Taking in account his family situation, amongst other things, Piscotty was traded to the Oakland A’s where he could be close to his mom.
OVERTIME
In the “this really happened” file, New York Jets player Jeremy Kerley (NFL) was suspended for four games for violating the league's performance-enhancing substance policy. How’d that banned substance get into his system? He blamed a ghost, specifically the Ghost of Christmas Past. No really. Apparently, he not only needs to avoid any questionable supplements but he should probably lay off the Disney Christmas cartoons.
SIDELINE STAT
Florida and Nebraska will play for the Women’s Volleyball National Championship on Saturday. Florida will be playing for their first national championship. Expect a big crowd as the semifinal game drew a record 18,000+ people, serving up the biggest crowd of all time.
COACHES’ CORNER
College football bowl game season starts tomorrow with the Celebration Bowl featuring Grambling vs. North Carolina A&T. Don't take a snack break and miss halftime of this game because the Grambling band will not disappoint. They're not your average college band. BOWL GAME SCHEDULE
Want to talk college football without all the stats and jargon? Catch our Five Things To Know About College Football Bowl Games right here.
Do you like free stuff? Join our College Football Bowl Game Mania for a chance to win prizes. Better yet? You don't even have to know anything about college football.
Click the photo to play. Entries must be submitted by tomorrow morning.
Ho, Ho, Holy College Football Bowl Games – The 5 Things You Need To Know
If more football games are on your holiday wish list, then you must have been well behaved this year because it’s college football bowl game season. Been naughty? Don’t worry, here are the five things you should know about the 2017-18 bowl game season to put you back on the nice list.
If football games are on your holiday wish list, then you must have been well behaved this year because there is an abundance of college football coming your way. Been naughty? Don’t worry, here are the five things you should know about bowl game season to put you back on the nice list.
Getting coal again this year,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Five Things To Know About College Football Bowl Games
1. If the Oscars have the most coveted swag bags, bowl games are a close second. Players cannot be paid to play in the games but they can take home some great loot. Gifts this year include nice watches, rocking headphones and a PlayStation PS4.
2. There have been quite a few head coaching positions vacated and with the new coach not starting until next season, you’ll see a handful of teams playing with an interim coach. (Think Tennessee, Florida, Nebraska and Arizona State).
3. What’s in a name? Well for bowl games, it’s big money. The committees will do just about anything to please their title sponsors including naming the game itself something odd. The most memorable bowl game names this season roll off the tongue like the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl, Taxslayer Bowl and the Potato Bowl. And yes, there used to be a game called the Salad Bowl.
4. If you want to put your name on it, it’s going to cost you. Collectively, companies spend around $100 million on the naming rights for bowl games. The money, it goes to the conference and they divvy it out amongst the teams in their conference but not before taking a little for themselves.
5. Not all teams are invited to a bowl game. A team has to have a .500-plus record to be considered bowl eligible. The top four teams in the country will play in either the Sugar Bowl or the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. The winner of those two games will play each other in the National Championship Game on January 8th.
- Why does this matter? Once again football is going to dominate the conversation this month. There are 40 games between Sunday, December 16 and Monday, January 8 so there's no escaping the discussion. SCHEDULE
Keep the conversation going
Find out what Lindsey Vonn is doing with cheese that is upping her game, how basketball is overtaking football as the most popular sport in America and why a blizzard may have cost one player $500,000. READ
Want to learn a little about college football with minimal effort? Join our college football bowl game pool where you can do just that. Simply pick the teams you think will win (or use the autofill function – we’re not judging). There are prizes for the winners (and even a few of the losers).
Ps – Your picks need to be submitted by this Saturday.