[NU Sports] 56 bowl participants! (fwd)

[Michael Vance]

I'll be surprised if they allow any 6-6 team automatically, but I would not 
be surprised to see them permanently install the exemption for 6-6 teams if 
it's necessary to fulfill a conference contractual obligation.  While 
that's potentially great for the big conferences, protecting their $$$, it 
sort of sucks for the little guys.  It'd be nice to see the Music City or 
Motor City bowl have to pick a 9-2 MAC or C-USA team instead of a 6-6 SEC 
or Big Ten (unless it's the 'Cats who are getting left out, of course.)  :-)

-Michael

At 12/5/2005 05:14 PM, Mike Nolan wrote:
> > This year there were 8 bowl-eligible teams left out of a bowl game
> > (including our nearby neighbors NIU).  Last year was a strange year,
> > with only 2 bowl-eligible teams left out of a bowl (6-5 Akron, who
> > made it in one by virtue of a conference championship this year, and
> > Clemson who got in that brawl with South Carolina and pulled
> > themselves out).  It does take some of the luster off of the bowls,
> > but it does give a lot more teams opportunities to show off their
> > program and play teams they might not otherwise face.  It's all about
> > the money for the bowls, but it's still a fun event for the school and
> > the fans.
>
>Last year NU and MSU both Hawaii'd themselves out of a bowl game.
>
>Next year will be interesting since officially the NCAA is still requiring
>'6 wins against qualified teams plus more wins than losses'.  Each school
>may count one win against a 1-AA school in their 6 wins (the rest must be
>in 1-A) and conference champions are exempt from both requirements.
>
>However, most schools will probably play a 12 game schedule, which means
>there will be a fair number of 6-6 teams come December 3rd, possibly
>enough to reduce the pool of bowl-eligible teams below 56.
>
>I think the NCAA Executive Committee has the authority to waive the
>'more wins than losses' rule and I suspect they will have to do just that.
>Whether the NCAA will make that a permanent change in their Bylaws is a
>separate matter.
>
>A few schools will play a 13 game schedule as there is still one pre-season
>classic game plus games in Hawaii and conference championships.
>--
>Mike Nolan
>
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