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College Football on a Tuesday, and asks the big question: Are bowl games dying?
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00:00Let's talk about the big thing, because there's a whole bunch of little things that we can hit.
00:02But the big thing I find is interesting is we got the college football playoff.
00:06We got it set.
00:07Your Texas A&M Aggies are in it.
00:09Your Ohio State Buckeyes are in it, Fig.
00:11O-H.
00:12Yeah.
00:13Gig'em.
00:13We might be set for a showdown here.
00:15Yeah, it's possible.
00:16I ain't doing no bets either, man.
00:18Don't worry about the old little weird bets.
00:21Yeah, no.
00:21Side bets?
00:22Yeah.
00:23I mean, you're not going to put at least some smelling salts on it?
00:25Hey, I'm not singing no fight song.
00:27I ain't doing none of that crap, man.
00:28I just want to watch the game.
00:29I just want to get there.
00:30I just want the chance to lose to Ohio State.
00:34But clearly, these games matter.
00:37They have some value.
00:38The problem is, it feels like if you're not playing in these college football playoff games,
00:43teams are showing that the bowl games might not have the same value.
00:47And so I'll ask you, John Lopez, I'll ask you, listener, I'll ask you, Fig.
00:50Are bowl games dying?
00:52Is the bowl season dying now in college football?
00:54It's just silly to me.
00:56I know this hasn't been.
00:57This isn't the popular opinion that you see on Twitter or wherever your favorite social
01:02media platform is.
01:04Bowl games are dying.
01:05How many times have you seen that this weekend?
01:06They're dying.
01:07They're killing it off.
01:08All the people opting out.
01:09Everybody.
01:10Notre Dame.
01:11Yes.
01:12Bowl games.
01:12All the six-game winning teams deciding to not go to the bowls.
01:15It'll never be the same.
01:16They're changing everything.
01:18Listen, people.
01:19Bowl games are not dying.
01:21And I am confident enough to say bowl games will never die.
01:25They're going to be different.
01:27But they will never die.
01:28Let's look at our bowl game.
01:30You know, the Kinders-Texas Bowl.
01:31The Kinders-Texas Bowl.
01:32The thing about bowl games is for fans, it's like, well, is that a good game?
01:37Am I going to watch or no?
01:38You know, a lot of teams, a lot of people now are not watching them as much.
01:42And I'm one of them.
01:43I think you're one of them.
01:44You know, you don't watch them as much as you used to when they, quote, mattered in the
01:49national championship pick, but they are not going anywhere because they are community
01:54events, community events that big time, you know, whether it's from, you know, city
02:01and county leadership to the local, you know, chambers of commerce, and most importantly,
02:09you know, sponsors, big time sponsors that want their name on a boat.
02:13They are never going anywhere.
02:16Mark my words.
02:16They're not going anywhere.
02:17They're going to be different.
02:18And they are different this year.
02:20You got, you got five and 17.
02:22You got Rice going to a bowl game.
02:24All due respect.
02:24You know, I'm glad they are.
02:25I'm just saying we're not normally they wouldn't first responders bowl.
02:28Yeah.
02:28You've got teams opting out your, your wildcats among them for a number of different reasons.
02:34Iowa state.
02:34I believe I think there's like nine or 10.
02:36Yeah.
02:36It's going to be a completely different landscape, but bowl games are not dying.
02:40Nor will they ever.
02:42I think when we say dying, I think that you're right.
02:45Like you're not actually going to lose the bowl games, but I think the reason why,
02:48you might be a little bit more optimistic in the reasoning why.
02:51I think the reason why bowl games aren't going is because they are TV products.
02:56That too.
02:57In the TV, in our current TV landscape, nothing than live TV does anything besides live sports
03:03and especially football.
03:04And how many times have you been between December 15th and January 5th?
03:10It's on.
03:10It's just like, what am I going to put on the TV?
03:13Oh, well, it's a football game, I guess.
03:14And so you're watching South Carolina and play versus, you know, some, some, you know,
03:20Utah state.
03:21Shout out to Prairie View.
03:22Right.
03:22Prairie View is going to be playing and celebrating bowl.
03:25Like you're going to have these games that during this time period, especially when, if you're
03:28off work, visiting family, just something to put on TV.
03:31I think those exist.
03:32But when I, when I'm talking about it, I think that those will still be there.
03:35I think that seeing teams, not just individual players, but entire programs opt out of these
03:41things.
03:41I think that that does say something about the viability of bowls because it makes them
03:47different.
03:47Sure.
03:47But like some of these bowls on the back end, like they exist because of the TV dollars,
03:51but the, the, the intrigue is not the same way.
03:54And I think from the program standpoint, it's not that they're making illogical decisions.
03:58I want to make that clear.
03:59Cause I think sometimes when people make decisions, it's like, oh, that's stupid.
04:02It's like, no, it makes sense.
04:03And then in the context that they're in, I think programs are looking at the way the scout,
04:07the calendar crunches now with the coaching carousel, as we've talked about, but you're
04:12recruiting on three levels.
04:14You're recruiting your players.
04:15You're recruiting other people's players and you're recruiting high school.
04:18All of that now becomes even more of work that you need to do in this time period that
04:23going to a bowl game, even the bowl game experiences are paired back somewhat.
04:28And I, so I think that some of the things that the bowl games have provided even to the
04:32programs themselves, talk less of the, you know, the fan bases are not there in the same
04:36way.
04:37And I think that's what we're talking about is yes, they are different, but I also think
04:40that different is not just different in the same way.
04:43I think they're different than lesser value, but they're not going anywhere for that.
04:46And the reasons I said, and even more reasons, uh, when our bowl games played December and
04:52January, that is bowl season.
04:54And that's not going anywhere.
04:56It's when people, as you've mentioned, turn on the TV, you know, leave it on whether they're
05:01cooking their Turkey or opening presents or wrapping presents or whatever, they're not
05:06going anywhere.
05:06The other thing is, and I think a lot of coaches are realizing this and have said, so
05:11the, the extra practices you get, that's always been the thought process, 15 to 20.
05:17Sometimes that's a, that's like a spring, uh, you know, spring training or, you know,
05:22spring football or whatever.
05:23They don't want to, they don't want to give that up.
05:26They're not going to give them more and more teams.
05:28I know, but I'm saying, I think, I think that's going to be in flux.
05:32So you got the December, you got the sponsorships, you got the cities, you've got the coaches
05:37that are a lot of them don't want to give that up.
05:39And then you also have, let's talk about one of the most important things.
05:43Uh, if I showed you this text right now, uh, what would it tell you?
05:47Hey, our bowl pool is open.
05:50I got this from my son gambling, gambling, gambling.
05:54You'll you've got a Saturday, December 13th Boise stayed in Washington.
05:59I don't know a lot about either of those teams.
06:00Cause I've watched them once or twice, December 13th, this Saturday, what bowl game is that?
06:05I don't remember the buck.
06:07It was, what is this?
06:09Is this right?
06:11Uh, the bucked up LA bowl.
06:14That is correct.
06:14That is the new sponsor.
06:15There's a bowl called bucked up.
06:17That's right.
06:18Where everybody's going to get to LA and get bucked up.
06:20Clearly bucked up.
06:21That's right.
06:21Look, if you book, that's right.
06:23So my point is I've watched these teams maybe once each at the most I'm betting on it.
06:29I'm going to put a little something on it.
06:31And sorry to get super existential here and to get on my soapbox.
06:35Cause you know, I'm want to do that.
06:36I think that all of this, you're right there.
06:39It's not going to go away, but the feeling of it is, is changed significantly in a lesser
06:43value.
06:43And I think I'll never disagree with that.
06:45That's the heart of it.
06:45And I think that what that is, is college football is becoming, or it's demonstrating and presenting
06:52more like the professional sports that it's been for a long time.
06:55And that is not fun.
06:57No.
06:57Like even the bowl games that used to have, feel like they had more meaning in substance,
07:02like something like citrus, but it's not in like the new year six or whatever, but still
07:07felt like it had some value to win.
07:09Now does not have that same.
07:10No, no.
07:11And I think that those are the things that are shifting.
07:12I will never disagree with that.
07:13Yeah.
07:13I'd never, I'm, I'm, I'm watching it different than I did when I was, whether I was 12 or
07:1732 or 42, I'm watching it different.
07:19Uh, but they are, they are not going anywhere.
07:22If you're worried about that, just stop where I'm, I'm fascinated by these names, the IS4S
07:27salute to service to veterans bowl.
07:29And all these sponsorships are kind of what I'm talking about.
07:31These are all a lot of times local sponsors.
07:34Yeah.
07:34I mean, do you drive by the IS4S factory every week?
07:37I mean, what is IS4S?
07:39Okay.
07:39I thought you said it like you knew.
07:41I have no idea.
07:42The, the, you know, they have some weird stuff here.
07:45I mean, it's, it's, it's absolutely the famous Idaho potato bowl.
07:48I know that one.
07:49Uh, the scooters coffee.
07:52Can you get scooters coffee at H-E-B?
07:54You can get online a bit.
07:56So yeah, they're not going anywhere.
07:58Yeah.
07:58I think that that's fair.
07:59And I think that's the, probably the middle ground to come to is that these are not like
08:03the bowl games are not going away.
08:04You're going to have bowl games on your television.
08:06Do you feel like it's dying though?
08:08Because I felt, I felt like we kind of had this conversations with the NIL and the transfer
08:13portal too, where people like a lot of players out the plant.
08:18Yeah.
08:18So you got that on top of this situation where maybe, maybe certain teams try to make a stance.
08:24They're not, they're not dying and they're never going to die.
08:26They're just different.
08:27The Snoop Dogg bowl.
08:29Snoop Dogg, Arizona bowl.
08:30Oh yeah.
08:31I remember.
08:31I think that's the second year of that.
08:33I forgot about that.
08:33Yeah.
08:34I do wonder though, because again, the likes of like the citrus bowl, some of the bigger
08:38ones on the step below those New Year's six ones, the traditional old school ones.
08:43I think those will still be there.
08:44The ones on the, the ones on the periphery, the Snoop Dogg, Arizona, although the Arizona
08:48How about the Tony, the tiger sun bowl?
08:50Yes.
08:51Yeah.
08:52Thanks to, uh, what is it?
08:53Is that Kellogg's or whatever that has that one?
08:55I'm interested because the bowl season got bigger and bigger as TV products.
09:00I do wonder if those ones at the very edges might scale back when you've got all these
09:05six win teams not deciding to go and you have games that feel like matching games in the
09:10middle of the week during the season that people maybe won't pay attention to in the
09:13same way.
09:14Do those pair back to where ESPN goes?
09:17Is this even worth what, you know, the minuscule ratings that we actually get off of those?
09:21Because again, ESPN is the thing keeping a lot of this afloat.
09:23And gambling.
09:24Right.
09:24And the locals.
09:25So I do wonder if some of the smaller bowls, because the Bahamas bowl went away.
09:29That no longer served its purpose in the way that it creates.
09:32Well, there are always bowls even during the glory days that kind of, you know, waft away.
09:36But they would be, I think that they would also be replaced.
09:39I'm wondering if we get bowl contraction a little bit on the edges.
09:41That's the only thing that I could think when we talk about dying.
09:43It depends on if they're getting the TV and sponsorship money.
09:46It's as simple as that.
09:47It's not about the game or the community spirit.
09:49But I think the game changes the viewership at times.
09:52Maybe.
09:52I'm saying the game in your city.
09:54Are you going to get sponsorships or are you going to get the TV revenue?
09:57All right.
09:57Some other things, college football on a Tuesday.
09:59Nice big conversation.
10:00Let's dig into a few other ones.
10:02Shout out to you and Texas A&M.
10:03Marcel Reed will return.
10:04How about that?
10:05For another season.
10:06I think that this is the right decision.
10:07He doesn't feel like he's NFL ready.
10:08He is an NFL player that it needs to become even a little better passer.
10:14His deep ball.
10:16He's got a lot better on the intermediate throws.
10:19But he could use another year.
10:21And frankly, the Aggies are going to be in a good spot with him back again.
10:25Yeah.
10:25This is where college football openly becoming more professional is good.
10:30Right?
10:30I would have at one point said, if you're of a certain caliber of player, go to the NFL.
10:36Yeah.
10:36Figure yourself out.
10:37Try and get to that second contract.
10:38Hold a clipboard.
10:39But you can stay in college, make a good amount of money, and make yourself a better prospect.
10:43And we know, especially now, the leash is very short for guys.
10:47You can't afford to jump in and not be ready.
10:50As ready as possible when you jump in is probably the best place for you to be.
10:53And as you pointed out, he's probably, what is he, a $5 million to $8 million player?
10:57Somewhere in there.
10:58He's probably making.
10:59It hits me in the chest every single time.
11:03That's a lot of money.
11:04Yeah.
11:04And then also, we didn't talk about the bracket at all, but we'll have a lot of opportunity
11:08to talk about the bracket.
11:09First games don't happen until, what, like the 20th?
11:11Mm-hmm.
11:12Weekend after this.
11:14So he's got some of this.
11:15And then it seems like the entire Ole Miss staff is returning here.
11:18How about that?
11:19All of a sudden, first it was like nobody's going back.
11:22And then, okay, we'll send you our offensive coordinator.
11:25And now, pretty much the entire offensive staff is leaving LSU to go coach Ole Miss in the
11:31playoffs.
11:32And you know what's funny?
11:32I won't even get on Ole Miss that much because they won the press conference, right?
11:36They did.
11:36They looked real tough and cool being like, no, okay, come back here.
11:40But on the back end, when they eventually were like, hey, we kind of need your help.
11:42We don't know what we're doing.
11:43Nobody's really going to talk about it.
11:45Nobody's going to talk about it.
11:46It'll be all right for that to happen there.
11:48We mentioned the Heisman finalists.
11:51I imagine Texas Tech's got to be feeling it because they put on the press to try to get
11:55Rodriguez in that final four.
11:57He's won everything so far.
11:58Yeah, he's won a defensive award, defender award and everything.
12:01And Gursky and also another one.
12:03And by the way, speaking of local and sponsorships, Lombardi, I believe, is either tomorrow or Thursday,
12:08if I'm remembering correctly.
12:09Yeah, he'll probably win that.
12:11Yeah.
12:11There's a couple more stories that maybe I'll sprinkle in at some point because I'm still
12:17amazed that Notre Dame had a conversation with the college football playoff and they
12:22organized with them and got a MOU sign last spring that make it so that what happened
12:29this year couldn't happen to them next year if they were ranked top 12, regardless of
12:33automatic bids, that they would make the college football playoff.
12:36And I can't wait for that to play out.
12:38I can't wait.
12:39Well, they're in the top 12.
12:40We're in.
12:40Because college football, it's not like it's all nonsense, right?
12:44And I can't wait for us to be having our normal conversations and then it turn up to another
12:48notch because we're like, wait, Notre Dame is not ranked higher than them.
12:52Why are they?
12:52And because they got a contract signed two years ago.
12:55That's why.
12:56I can't wait.
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