Potential Fourth Bowl

Time was when the MAC had to fight to be in one bowl. Now, we're locked into three, and apparently, talks are on for what could easily be a fourth. MAC Report online says that the Congressional Bowl has a contingent MAC tie in. The idea is that the ACC will play a bowl-eligible service academy--a real service academy, not Air Force--with the ACC's 9th Bowl Eligible team. The ACC has never had that many bowl eligible teams, which mean the MAC is the back-up, if we have a fourth bowl eligible team.

Here is what Commissioner Chryst said about our bowl situation....

According to Chryst, the MAC's currently in-place bowl alliances remain on solid ground, including the conference's spot in the GMAC Bowl. "We have a very good relationship with the GMAC Bowl and have had a lot of success there," said Chryst. "We just need to re-engage our competitiveness from the last couple of years." The MAC is 5-2 against Conference USA in the Mobile, AL based bowl but has lost the last two games, including a 63-7 loss by Bowling Green to Tulsa in the most recent edition of the game, after winning the first five in the series.

"The International Bowl continues to grow and we couldn't be happier with the progress they have made in bringing NCAA and MAC football to Canada in only two short years," added Chryst when discussing the MAC's relationship with the only bowl game north of the border.

You know I was thrilled when we got a second tie-in, and a third is cool, too. I just wish that wouldn't have meant sending a 6-6 OU Bobcat team out into post-season play last season. Let's remember that our bowl games has gone up in part because there are simply more games than before.

I guess I wonder why college football needs three more bowl games. There must be some kind of finances behind this--I think ESPN sponsors them as essentially made for TV movies. It gets to be a little much--even for a college football nut like me. On the other hand, I love bowl season. Its always interesting, especially when you are in a bowl pool.