[NU Sports] B-C-MESS!!! B-C-MESS!!! (fwd)

[Mike Nolan]

> With a playoff I see the minor bowls dying and given the fact that we are not often in the top 16(largest playoff scenario) often we would more than likely be always home for the holidays.

They said that expanding the NCAA tournament to 48, then 64, then 65 would
kill off the NIT, which didn't happen.

As long as ESPN can make money doing minor bowl games and teams (including
their fans) that don't make the playoffs continue to value bowl appearances 
(as NU should and even Notre Dame learned is necessary), they'll continue 
to prosper.  

The value of those 15 extra practices and the additional publicity to
recruits is worth enough to the schools that many of them would probably
accept a bowl appearance even if it paid zilch.

The near-dead economy is a far bigger threat to the bowl games, because
they have to have a both a sponsor and a TV contract to be sanctioned by
the NCAA.  However, local tourism boards are rapidly becoming the sponsor 
of choice (possibly by default) for the minor bowls and possibly even the
middling bowls.  
--
Mike Nolan