Kickoff – Bowl Season Official Newsletter, August 2021

BOWL SEASON OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2021

COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS BACK The 2021 Season is Here and the Student-Athletes, Coaches and Fans are Ready to Go

By KEVIN McNAMARA

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fter the dark spring and summer of 2020, elevate its game by several notches. This 2021 college football provided a glimmer of season is reverting back to a new normal. While hope for the American sports fan in some restrictions remain in place, full rosters, these Covid times. packed stadiums and Fans, bands and a complete schedule cheerleaders may have of Bowl Season games been restricted, but have the sport ready for when the Lions and the a breakout year.

Gators, the Sooners and “We’re all excited the Trojans all played that the world is getting on, we could all see back to normal and some light at the end I’m excited college of a gloomy tunnel. football is back to a Many big games, and new normal,” said Nick several historic bowl Carparelli, the executive “The passion college football games, were sacrificed director of Bowl Season. fans have for their teams is but when Alabama “I’m most excited for was crowned a national college football fans.” unrivaled in sports.” champion in Miami last The fans, ah, we – NICK CARPARELLI January, everyone knew missed you. To see a Bowl Season Executive Director better days were just smattering of seats around the corner. filled at Notre Dame Stadium, the Rose Bowl Now the college football world is ready to or the Big House just isn’t right. Neither were BOWL SEASON | February 2021

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shuttered tailgate groves or bowl games without parades and all the requisite pageantry.

“The passion college football fans have for their teams is unrivaled in sports,” Carparelli said.

“Everyone missed the game last year for different reasons but the fans missed driving to the games, tailgating with their friends and rooting for their team in person. There is no substitute for that.”

As programs from coast to coast welcomed back excited players to campus in August, everyone could feel a palpable sense of anticipation. The same feelings were on display

BOWL SEASON LAUNCHES NEW OFFICIAL PODCAST Bowl Season is launching a new official podcast that will focus on the moments and memories that make college football’s traditional post-season so great. Titled Bowl Season Stories, the podcast takes the organization’s tagline — “a celebration of college football” — and brings it to the podcast realm.

Bowl Season Stories will feature top names in college football – from all-time greats to current analysts, broadcasters and bowl executives – to talk about the storylines, trends and traditions that make Bowl Season and the games so special. Discussions will highlight the student-athletes and the spirit of competition that captivate millions of fans and enrich communities across the country.

“I’m thrilled that we are launching a podcast that celebrates Bowl Season and the great game of college football,” Bowl Season Executive Director Nick Carparelli said. “Bowl Season Stories will feature conversations among industry leaders and legends of the game.

Bowl Season’s rich history has created so many magical moments and we can’t wait to tell the stories with the former student-athletes who played in big games, and

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at Bowl Season’s Annual Meeting in August in Scottsdale, AZ. Representatives from 44 bowls, sponsors and major industry vendors came together and participated in four panel discussions and heard a keynote address from ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips.

“Our annual meeting was a huge success,” Carparelli said. “We had some informative panel topics where everyone exchanged valuable ideas and insights. Jim Phillips of the ACC was a timely featured speaker who brought everyone up to date on the important developments in our sport.”

T O N Y D O R S E T T the people making bowl games special for all involved today.”

Carparelli will serve as host and will be joined by on-air producer and broadcasting veteran Angela Lang. Bowl Season Stories debuted on August 26, with featured guests Tony Dorsett, 1976 Heisman Trophy winner and National Champion; and John Grant, executive director of the Celebration Bowl. New episodes will drop weekly throughout the college football season. Produced by Tony Fay Public Relations, fans can find and subscribe to Bowl Season Stories via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever they download their podcasts.

LISTEN

Yet beyond the exchange of professional And how about those early season clashes? Get themes, Carparelli said the main take away was a ready for Alabama-Miami, Clemson-Georgia, Ohio more personal one.

St-Oregon, LSU-UCLA, Penn St.-Auburn, Notre “Just the simple Dame-Florida State fact that the entire and many more. bowl industry was Everyone is gunning back together again for a valued spot in for the first time in 28 the four-team College months was reason Football Playoff. to celebrate,” he said.

That will feature the “We are a tight-knit Goodyear Cotton Bowl group, it’s a small circle Classic and the Capital of college football One Orange Bowl as friends who work for CFP semifinals on their bowl game on a New Year’s Eve and year-round basis. It was then the CFP National great to be together “College football’s post-season Championship on Jan. and look ahead with 10 in Indianapolis. is for everyone.

We have a confidence.”

Bowl Season is College football fans excited for its turn in playoff component and a are lighting up talk the sun as well, or as Bowl Season component and shows and message Carparelli says, “college boards around the football’s post-season is both are equally important country as all sorts of for everyone. We have to the sport.” storylines unfold in a playoff component advance of the kickoff and a Bowl Season – NICK CARPARELLI Bowl Season Executive Director to a new season. Are component and both the new quarterbacks are equally important at Alabama, Clemson, to the sport.”

Ohio State and Texas Towards that end, A&M ready for prime Bowl Season will be time? Is the country producing an unofficial, ready for the next fan-friendly Bowl wave of throwers, Projections feature from Spencer Rattler on a weekly basis (Oklahoma) to Sam once the initial CFP Howell (North Carolina) rankings are unveiled and D’Eriq King in late October. It will Gus Malzahn is a familiar face at a new place in (Miami)? basically be a snapshot Central Florida.

Plenty of new of what the bowl game coaches in big jobs are matchups might look attracting headlines. They include Steve Sarkisian like if the season ended that day. at Texas, Bryan Harsin at Auburn, Josh Heupel at The off-season is coming to an end and “talking Tennessee, Gus Malzahn at Central Florida, Bret season” is over. It’s time for some football. Good Bielema at Illinois and many more. luck to all the student-athletes, coaches and staffs.

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The Times, They are a-changing

By KEVIN McNAMARA

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f you’re not moving forward, you’re falling behind.

If there is any sport that lives up to this time-worn adage, it’s college football. After a season unlike any other due to the challenges of the pandemic, the power brokers in athletic departments, conference offices, bowl games and television networks are embracing change and looking to move the sport forward.

First came the slow-moving train of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) that promises to touch every college football program in America in some way. Then word came that the College Football Playoff is exploring expansion, perhaps to as many as 12 teams. Finally, late in the summer, the first major conference expansion transaction in a decade fell into place as Oklahoma and Texas announced plans to jump to the Southeastern Conference.

Clearly the times they are a-changing.

The various moves leave school presidents, athletic directors, coaches, commissioners and TV execs wondering just what the future will look like. We may be able to predict with a degree of

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certainty what the 2021 season may hold but you’d have to be some type of wizard with a pigskin crystal ball to forecast what the 2026 campaign could bring, for example.

Many of these changes were discussed at the Bowl Season Annual Meeting in Scottsdale in August. A full presentation of the opportunities around NIL drew a lot of attention from bowl representatives who are exploring a host of new avenues for their games.

This year’s CFP semifinals will feature a New Year’s Eve doubleheader that includes the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic and the Capital One Orange Bowl. The CFP National Championship on Jan. 10 will be held outside of the bowl system in

EXPERIENCED DISCUSSION: Attendees at the Bowl Season Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, AZ, were treated to expert panels on topics like Name, Image and Likeness, Storytelling in the Digital Age, and Technology Advancements for Venues.

Indianapolis. What will the CFP look like in four or “The College Football Playoff and Bowl Season eight years? No one can say with any certainty. are both equally important to college football,” As for Bowl Season, Executive Director Nick Carparelli said. “There are 130 FBS programs and Carparelli keeps his ear to the ground and speaks the opportunity to play in a post-season bowl regularly with most college football leaders. game remains special for all of them. Bowl games “We’re supportive of any serve so many important changes that are in the best needs for college football.”

“Bowl games serve so interests of college football,” Conference realignment many important needs Carparelli said. “The growth creates change, of course, of the sport will lift up but part of that change for college football.” everyone involved in the includes new opportunity. game. As college football There are growing – NICK CARPARELLI Bowl Season Executive Director continues to evolve, Bowl programs in each of the Season will be nimble, 10 FBS conferences, each creative and fluid to evolve with those changes.” looking to continue an upward trajectory towards The current four-team CFP has been in more winning seasons and participation in the existence for seven years now and has certainly post-season. Perhaps the move of OU and Texas been a great success, raising the profile of college to the SEC opens up lanes for the other Big 12 football even higher. The CFP is an important part schools. No matter what conference these teams of Bowl Season, and the most recent proposal for compete in, all are eligible for Bowl Season and a expansion includes the participation of even more unique experience that only college football can bowls to crown an official champion. Wherever bring. possible expansion lands, the unique experience Bowl Season will remain nimble and work for student-athletes, coaches, bands, spirit groups together with the leaders of the sport, no matter and fans at all post-season bowl games will what change comes. But change is here, and continue to set Bowl Season apart as an American college football and Bowl Season are positioned tradition like no other. to keep moving forward.

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Bowl Season and CFP Foundation Partnering to Impact Teachers

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ne of the highlights from the Bowl Season celebration and marketing kit as well as matching grant Annual Meeting in early August was the funds to support the funding of teacher resources. announcement of a new partnership between “We are excited to be able to partner with Bowl Bowl Season and the CFP Foundation. The largest Season to support teachers all across the country,” said sports entity supporting K-12 educators in America, College Football Playoff Foundation Executive Director the CFP Foundation has Britton Banowsky. collectively invested over “Numerous bowls have $47 million in support of been very generous in education. It has joined their support already, but forces with Bowl Season to be able to make this to provide an opportunity opportunity available to for all 44 bowl games to all Bowl Games is special, celebrate and support and we are very grateful.” teachers across the Entering this country. Each bowl game season, the established will have the opportunity relationships with bowl to participate in an games through teacher Extra Yard for Teachers programs and grant recognition and grantactivations has resulted matching program during in more than $10 million Bowl Season. This new already invested to Bowl Season Extra Yard support teachers since the for Teachers program will Foundation’s inception. be made available to bowl “We’re thrilled to be COMMUNITY IMPACT: All 44 bowl games have been games and is in addition able to join with the CFP challenged to do something to impact teachers in to the funding provided Foundation and impact their community on Sept. 14 as part of The Big Day. through existing bowl teachers in communities partnerships. across the Bowl Season footprint,” said Bowl Season This program has the potential to bring upwards of Executive Director Nick Carparelli. “Teachers are framing $400,000 in additional support to teachers and students. our country’s future through our kids and we couldn’t be Elements of the partnership include access to a teacher more proud to be associated with Extra Yard for Teachers.”

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DEC. 18 Atlanta, GA

DEC. 18 Albuquerque, NM

DEC. 18 Shreveport, LA

11 AM | ESPN

12 PM | ABC

2:15 PM | ESPN

3:30 PM | ABC

DEC. 20 Myrtle Beach, SC

DEC. 21 Boise, ID

DEC. 21 Frisco, TX

2:30 PM | ESPN

3:30 PM | ESPN

DEC. 27 Detroit, MI 11 AM | ESPN

DEC. 18 Mobile, AL

12 PM | ESPN

6 PM | ESPN2

DEC. 18 Los Angeles, CA

DEC. 18 New Orleans, LA

5:45 PM | ESPN

7:30 PM | ABC

9:15 PM | ESPN

DEC. 22 Fort Worth, TX

DEC. 23 Tampa, FL

DEC. 24 Honolulu, HI

DEC. 25 Montgomery, AL

7:30 PM | ESPN

TBD | ESPN

7 PM | ESPN

8 PM | ESPN

2:30 PM | ESPN

DEC. 27 Annapolis, MD

DEC. 28 Birmingham, AL

DEC. 28 University Park, TX

DEC. 28 Memphis, TN

DEC. 28 San Diego, CA

DEC. 28 Phoenix, AZ

2:30 PM | ESPN

12 PM | ESPN

3:15 PM | ESPN

6:45 PM | ESPN

8:00 PM | FOX

10:15 PM | ESPN

DEC. 30 Nashville, TN

DEC. 30 Atlanta, GA

DEC. 29 Bronx, NY

DEC. 29 Orlando, FL

11 AM | ESPN

2:15 PM | ESPN

5:45 PM | ESPN

9:15 PM | ESPN

DEC. 30 Las Vegas, NV

DEC. 31 Jacksonville, FL

DEC. 31 El Paso, TX

DEC. 31 Miami, FL

10:30 PM | ESPN

11 AM | ESPN

12:30 PM | CBS

3:30/7:30 PM | ESPN

3:30/7:30 PM | ESPN

JAN. 1 Glendale, AZ

JAN. 1 Orlando, FL

JAN. 1 Pasadena, CA

JAN. 1 New Orleans, LA

JAN. 4 Houston, TX

1 PM | ABC

5 PM | ESPN

DEC. 29 San Antonio, TX

DEC. 30 Charlotte, NC

DEC. 29 Boston, MA

1 PM | ESPN

DEC. 17 Orlando, FL

8:45 PM | ESPN

11:30 AM | ESPN

DEC. 31 Arlington, TX

TBD | ESPN

3 PM | ESPN

7 PM | ESPN

DEC. 31 Tuscon, AZ

JAN. 1 Tampa, FL

4:30 PM | TBD

12 PM | ESPN2

TBD San Francisco, CA

JAN.10 Indianapolis, IN

TBD

8 PM | ESPN

*All times ET and all Bowls subject to change.

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2021-22 BOWL SEASON SCHEDULE

DEC. 18 Boca Raton, FL

DEC. 17 Nassau, Bahamas

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