Kickoff: Bowl Season Official Newsletter – November 2021

CELEBRATING TEACHERS

Bowl Season’s Commitment to Educators Remains a Priority

Bowl Season has come together with the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation to celebrate and support local teachers. Through the partnership, each bowl game has the opportunity to participate in an Extra Yard for Teachers recognition and grantmatching program during Bowl Season.

This new Bowl Season Extra Yard for Teachers program is being made available to all bowl games and is in addition to the funding provided through existing bowl partnerships with the CFP Foundation. This Bowl Season partnership has the potential to bring upwards of $400,000 in additional support to teachers and students. Elements of the partnership include matching grant funds to support the funding of teacher resources.

Entering this college football season, the established relationships with bowl games through teacher programs and grant activations has resulted in more than $10 million already invested to support teachers since the CFP Foundation’s inception.

A BIG DAY

This September, every bowl game participated in the CFP Foundation’s second annual Big Day for Teachers. Part of Extra Yard for Teachers Week, The Big Day is a designated day that mobilizes college football to celebrate educators. The largest singleday effort of community impact ever undertaken by the extended college football family, millions in grants, direct aid and desperately needed resources were awarded to teachers and educators nationwide on The Big Day. The CFP Foundation

reported significant growth nationwide for The Big Day, a large part coming from the complete participation of Bowl Season.

“We’re thrilled that all 44 of our bowl games came together to each honor a teacher as part of The Big Day,” said Nick Carparelli, executive director of Bowl Season. “Bowl Season was delighted to work with Extra Yard for Teachers in helping make the event a national success. Teachers are so important, especially with all they have had to work through over the last 18 months. We’re excited to help grow the effort and support teachers across the country.”

Each bowl game was provided with a $1,000 DonorsChoose gift card through the CFP Foundation to present to a local teacher on The

Big Day. These gift cards could be utilized towards a classroom project, improvements or supplies.

“We are grateful for the generous support of amazing partners like Bowl Season and all of the bowl organizations,” said Britton Banowsky, executive director of the CFP Foundation.

“The college football community came together for the Big Day and it was fantastic to see each and every bowl game participate in support of teachers.”

Other highlights from The Big Day included the Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program distributed out additional grants to Arizona teachers who were grant runners-up last year. The Cotton Bowl Foundation honored Dallas-area teachers through a $50,000 grant to Catch Up & Read and a $50,000 grant to Urban Teachers.

“We are grateful for the generous support of amazing partners like Bowl Season and all of the bowl organizations.”

– BRITTON BANOWSKY CFP Foundation Executive Director

PODCAST GUESTS THIS SEASON

Nicole Auerbach

Britton Banowsky

Anthony Becht

Tony Casillas

Brian Cushing

Woodrow “Woody” Dantzler

Dennis Dodd

Tony Dorsett

Derrick Fox

Richard Giannini

Scott Glaser

Alan Gooch

John Grant

Chad Hennings

Kirk Herbstreit

Rocket Ismail

Pepper Johnson

Daryl Johnston

Joel Klatt

Eric Mac Lain

Kevin McNamara

Danny Morrison

Mike Nealy

Mark Neville

Bernie Olivas

Eric Poms

Grace Raynor

Brant Ringler

Holly Rowe

Dave Wannstedt

Christine Williamson

Brian Cushing

Anthony Becht Tony Casillas

Kirk Herbstreit

Woody Dantzler

Tony Dorsett

Daryl Johnston

Rocket Ismail Pepper Johnson

Dave Wannstedt

Joel Klatt Eric Mac Lain

BOWL BOUND

Bowl Season Celebrates Teams as They Become Bowl Eligible

Bowl Season is officially recognizing and celebrating college football teams that reach their sixth win of the season and qualify for bowl eligibility.

Since the beginning of October, official Bowl Bound! team-branded T-shirts have been given out to the players and staff to commemorate the accomplishment. This is the first time that bowl eligibility has been officially recognized.

Coastal Carolina became the first team to reach six wins on October 7. Since then, 35 teams have become bowl eligible, with several more on the cusp for this weekend.

“The first goal that every college football team sets for itself entering the season is to win six

games and qualify for a bowl game,” said Bowl Season Executive Director Nick Carparelli. “Winning that sixth game is a cause for celebration in ‘punching your ticket’ to Bowl Season. For the first time ever student-athletes, coaches and staff will have something tangible to celebrate this exciting achievement. They are officially Bowl Bound!”

It is highly common for teams of other sports at all levels to celebrate qualifying for the post-season. Rather than waiting until bowl selections are announced in early December, Bowl Season wanted teams to feel that sense of accomplishment.

We congratulate each of the teams and look forward to Bowl Season next month.

“The first goal that every college football team sets for itself entering the season is to win six games and qualify for a bowl game.”

– NICK CARPARELLI Bowl Season Executive Director