We have one of the largest alumni bases in the country.

I’m currently going to grad school for marketing right now at Texas—where they have the most profitable athletics program in the country—by far. Maybe I need to see if the U will hire me for my marketing acumen. They certainly could use some.

The problem is that you can go to Tempe and get tickets for a lot less than what I would pay through the U.

You are right SUMG, the problem with the bowl structure, what keeps them in existence, are those ticket guarantees.

The easiest way for the NCAA to ensure Division I-A (FBS) goes to a playoff? Forbidding ticket guarantees.

Maybe with the potentially illegal lobbying the Fiesta Bowl is currently being investigated over, the bowls are going to lose their position in the FBS structure. One can only hope.

Assuming you get really good recruits and get the most out of the time, the extra time you get over other teams makes next years team better than it would otherwise be. The NCAA limits the practice time for teams, but this is a competitive advantage. Even if many teams piss it away.

…Like the Gophers did last year try to put in a whole new system with limited practices.

Is the extra practice time really that beneficial? Think about any recreation sports you play. Let’s say slow pitch softball since many can relate. Let’s say at the end of your softball season your team holds another 15 practices within a month. When you hit the diamonds again in the spring, do you really think that extra practice time in over the course of a month helped you any at all?

I don’t. You are still going to be rusty when you get to spring either way.

I do realize these are not slow pitch softball athletes we are talking about and they workout over the offseason—but that would be true with or without the 15 extra official practices over the course of a month.

Furthermore, did you watch the Wyoming/Fresno game last night? Teams can do so many things during bowl games because the outcome is so inconsequential (in the minor bowl games anyways) that it is more like an exhibition than anything. Entertaining nonetheless, but not what you normally see during the regular season. So I think the practice time isn’t really all that important.

on why the practice time for bowl games, while important, might be overrated:

Would the readers here have preferred Tramaine Brock to have spent December 2008 studying for his finals, or practicing for the Insight Bowl?

Example number two:

Remember David Pittman? Used extensively against Kansas. Had 3 touches of the ball in 2009.

Example number three:

The offense was completely changed after the bowl game, because Fisch was hired around January 20, 2009.

Example number four:

It has been reported that MarQueis Gray is taking his reps at wide receiver for this bowl game, but will be moved back to QB for a “full-fledged” competition in the spring.

If Gray needs the reps as much as I think we all think he does at QB, what sense does putting him on the flank make, especially if you DON’T plan on making him Minnesota’s answer to Marvin McNutt? He could get about 200-250 QB reps in these 15 practices. Instead he’ll be running bubble screens.

In the end, I agree with Rencito about the utility of bowl games. Outside of the BCS bowls, and a few select historical others (Holiday, Capital One/Citrus, Gator, Cotton), they are all exhibition games that don’t mean squat, unless you are Corey Wootton.