Meaningless Bowl Games?

There are too many bowl games.

There. I've said it. But this isn't the first time I said it.

I've been saying for a while there are too many games. Originally, an invitiation to a bowl game was a reward for a season well done. Now, it's hardly more than just another neutral site game, with over half of the teams going to bowls.

The first bowl game, the Rose Bowl, was intended as a matchup between the best team from the eastern U.S. against the best team from the western U.S. It wasn't always, but that was the original idea. Other bowls came along and invited major teams to play. The Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Sun Bowl, Cotton Bowl, and Gator Bowl all had the elite teams. After World War II, the number of bowls rose from six to 16 by 1950. The overabundance of bowls was apparent and they dropped to 7 bowls in the next two years: the earlier six plus the Tangerine Bowl. The number of bowls began to grow again in 1959, until it more than doubled to 15 in 1978: Rose, Sugar, Orange, Sun, Cotton, Gator, Tangerine, Bluebonnet, Liberty, Peach, Fiesta, Independence, Holiday Bowl, Garden State Bowl, and the Hall of Fame Classic.

In 1978, Division 1 split into Division 1-A and Division 1-AA, known today as FBS and FCS. Division 1-AA had a playoff system, and Division 1-A had the bowl games.

That first year of the split, those 15 bowl games accounted for 30 teams out of 146, meaning 20% of the teams went to a bowl. Teams weren't just handed a bowl game. In 1978, a 10-win team and two 9-win teams didn't get bowl invitations. It was still an elite group, and MAC champion Ball State (10-1), MAC runner up Central Michigan (9-2), and independent North Texas State (9-2) were snubbed. A bowl game meant something, and not everybody got one.

That changed over time. By 1982, 1/3 of all teams went to a bowl. In the 1999 season, the number passed 40%. In 2006, over half the teams went to a bowl. By 2014, it was over 60%. This year, 86 teams out of 136 will go to a bowl game or playoff game. That's over 63%.

The latest wrinkle? Teams with losing records are now going to bowl games. Every full season since 2014 has included at least one team with a sub-.500 record in a bowl game. There are three this year.

See the trends for yourself.

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The Rise(?) of the Bowl Game: 1978 to 2025

Year(s)	Bowls	Bowl Teams	All Teams	Pct	<.500 Teams
1978	15	30	146	20.5	0
1979	15	30	148	20.3	0
1980	15	30	138	21.7	0
1981	16	32	138	23.2	0
1982	16	32	96	33.3	0
1983	17	34	96	35.4	0
1984 - 1989	18	36	104	34.6	0
1990	19	38	107	35.5	0
1991	19	38	106	35.8	0
1992 - 1995	18	36	106	34.0	0
1996	20	40	108	37.0	0
1997	21	42	112	37.5	0
1998	22	44	114	38.6	0
1999	23	46	114	40.4	0
2000	25	50	116	43.1	0
2001 - 2005	28	56	117	47.9	0
2006	32	64	119	53.8	0
2007	34	68	119	57.1	0
2008	34	68	120	56.7	0
2009 - 2012	35	70	120	58.3	0
2013	35	70	125	56.0	0
2014	39	78	128	60.9	1
2015	40	80	130	61.5	3
2016	40	80	130	61.5	2
2017	40	80	130	61.5	1
2018	40	80	130	61.5	2
2019	40	80	130	61.5	5
2020	28	56	130	43.1	0
2021	44	88	130	67.7	1
2022	42	84	133	63.2	2
2023	42	84	133	63.2	1
2024 - 2025	43	86	136	63.2	3

The Answer Is...

So what is the answer? Simple. Have fewer bowl games. But you and I know that won't happen.

The communities and organizations that host the games must get a benefit from it. If it brings money into the local economy, it's good. So, while from the strictly traditional sense, there are too many, I don't want to see local businesses lose out on the extra income from people coming into town to attend the game.

The classsic four bowl games -- Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, and Cotton Bowl -- are all incorporated into the college football playoff, along with the Peach Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl. Those original elite games are still elite. The other early bowls -- Sun Bowl, Gator Bowl, Tangerine Bowl (now Citrus Bowl) -- all are featuring teams that won 8 or more games.

The bowl games that meant something, still do. I personally have a hard time getting excited about a matchup between a 6-6 team playing a 5-7 team. But you know what, if it was my child getting to play in a bowl game, I'd be excited. And if it was my restaurant that was making more money because of 50-thousand extra people in town to watch a game, I'd be excited as well.

The games that used to mean a lot, still do. There are a lot more minor games, but there is a benefit. Should the number of games reduce? Yes. Will it? Eventually. It did in the 1950s. It may again.