A few weeks ago I posted about there probably being too many bowl games - I totally scooped ESPN on this with my mad analysis. I figured out that (at that time) there were not enough teams within enough wins to fill the bowls (based on current # of wins and projecting forward over time using kick-ass modeling skills). No I won't give you my secret sauce.
Now the pundits have finally figured this all out, and the boys in charge are making a big stink about it, saying they will let some bowl games "go dark" to slow down growth in games. Well, what the hell did you expect to happen?
Everyone knows (but few admit) that college football nowadays is all about the money. This is why programs jump to different conferences, and that is why some schools even start their own football programs with the express intent of getting into the FBS within a few years - no one starts a football program anymore expecting to stay FCS - not enough dough there.
All of that said, why does the NCAA pretend to be surprised? Gee, there are so many bowl games, we never expected this to happen! Come on, man. You knew it would happen - sponsors give away so much money, and also, why wouldn't the city try to cash in on all that travel revenue? It is kind of a no-brainer. One extra game can add all kinds of extra money to the pot, depending on the school, the sponsor, the TV network involved, etc. And don't forget revenue-sharing - the more bowls, the more TV money, the more revenue to share, etc. It is so blatantly obvious to the most casual observer.
So congratulations, NCAA. You got what you wanted. And now you complain that there are too many games, and threaten to let some "go dark". Yeah, right. Never gonna happen. Too late in the game, too much risk of alienating your masters if you were to screw cities out of bowl games that have been scheduled and advertised for so long. Good luck with that.
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