EMBRACING THE EVOLUTION
Change Is Constant, But Bowl Season Continues to Adapt and Thrive
By KEVIN M c NAMARA
Any college football fan knows that their favorite sport is almost constantly rolling through change. Everyone has navigated tweaks to the College Football Playoff, the freeflowing transfer portal, the birth of name, image and likeness payments, conference realignment and more over the last half dozen years. But now is the time to hold on tight: changes coming in the 2024 season are supercharged.
This time around we have a new, expanded 12-team playoff. We have traditional bowls like the VRBO Fiesta Bowl and the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic serving as host sites for playoff games. We have players extending their college careers into
their mid-20s. We have Stanford playing at Clemson and Southern Cal at Maryland in new conference rivalries. And we no longer have Nick Saban on the Crimson Tide sideline!
Bowl Season remains a cornerstone of college football highlighting top teams and unforgettable fan experiences.
Now that is a lot of change. What isn’t changing is Bowl Season. The bowls will indeed host CFP playoff games, from the quarterfinal round and beyond. The other 37 bowl games will remain a celebration of college football’s traditions, showcasing the best players and teams in the country and giving their fans a football and cultural experience that they’ll remember forever.
But all of Bowl Season is changing with the times. One avenue is the rise of name, image and likeness.
Football student-athletes around the country have embraced NIL back on their respective campuses, or even before they arrived at college through the recruiting process. They know and like (and benefit from) NIL, and there is a growing wave of interest from the bowl community in incorporating NIL into their events in some way.
The Duke’s Mayo Bowl and the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl have fully incorporated NIL into their efforts, in accordance with NCAA guidelines.
In Charlotte, Duke’s Mayo Bowl officials partnered with Opendorse and created a platform where fans can contract to pay players for social media posts and autographs but also gives businesses in the greater Charlotte area an opportunity to get involved as well. The platform allows players from participating teams to partner with Charlotte-area businesses on NIL deals leading up to the game. “The platform that Opendorse created has worked very well and players from both teams can choose to opt in and participate,” said Miller Yoho, the director of communications and marketing for the Charlotte Sports Foundation.
initiatives,
part of the evolving college football landscape.
group appreciates NIL’s importance in the lives of the student-athletes.
“It boils down to we want to be where the players and fans are at,” Yoho said, “and NIL is part of the landscape now. We want to do what’s appropriate but certainly allow the players to come to Charlotte and monetize their experience if at all possible.”
“We want to do what's appropriate but certainly allow the players to come to Charlotte and monetize their experience if at all possible.”
– MILLER YOHO Director of Communications and Marketing, Charlotte Sports Foundation
Yoho helps the Charlotte-based Foundation with the Duke’s Mayo Classic that matches Tennessee and North Carolina State in September, as well as two premier college basketball events. He says the
Yoho says he can see a day when many Charlotte-area businesses are attracted to the bowl game and help many players end their careers with a financial boost alongside their football memories. One example is the Duke’s Mayo Bowl Ambassador deal which went to players from the winning teams in 2021 and 2022, and features a $5,000 contract that includes community service and social media content. A few
years ago, after he won the contract, Maryland kicker Chad Ryland chose to invest time and money at food banks in Charlotte and near his home in Lebanon County (Pa.).
“We know things are always shifting around in college football, but we are a committed partner to the bowls and see a great future. That future will include NIL in some way and we’re excited that we’re already a part of it,” he said. Out in Arizona the impetus for NIL activity came via one source, game sponsor Snoop Dogg. The hip-hop icon has a long track record of involvement with youth and college sports and aims to compensate every player involved in the Arizona Bowl.
“It was 100 percent Snoop’s idea,” said Kym Adair, the executive director of the Arizona Bowl. “He appreciates the student-athlete experience and the impact of these dollars on their journey. We’re committed to providing those NIL dollars and involving community service in the Tucson area as well.”
Adair said that her team is currently working on finding partnerships with brands and local businesses to fund the NIL packages.
Snoop Dogg recently showcased his love of amateur and professional sports during an extensive stay at the Summer Olympics in Paris. He was regularly featured on NBC and various social media platforms, and at 52 years old he remains a cultural icon with plenty of star power. The Arizona Bowl is set for its 10th season and this next chapter will be an interesting one to follow.
“Snoop is a national treasure,” Adair said. “The joy and genuine exuberance he brings to these athletic events is really authentic to him. He appreciates the athletic experience.”
Like her friends in Charlotte, Adair says she believes the ability to change amid the always-changing college football world is the future of many bowl games. “I feel we’re one of the fastest-growing but also innovative games in this space. You need the flexibility to take risks,” she said. “Snoop and our sponsors allow us to explore those avenues. After all, you can never nail down what might change next in college football.”
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PLAY-BY-PLAY FOR 18 COLLEGE BOWL GAMES
Bowl Season Radio aired on terrestrial radio stations throughout the country, as well as Sirius XM satellite radio. In addition, the games streamed live on Tune-In, Audacy and The Varsity Network apps.
The Bowl Season Radio schedule included the Cricket Celebration Bowl, Avocados From Mexico Cure Bowl, Isleta New Mexico Bowl, Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, Famous Toastery Bowl, Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl, Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl, 76 Birmingham Bowl, Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl, Quick Lane Bowl, SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, Military Bowl presented by GoBowling.com, Wasabi Fenway Bowl, Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, TransPerfect Music City Bowl, ReliaQuest Bowl, and the East-West Shrine Bowl all-star game.
