Hey, here's a confession: Although I played football in high school, I know nearly nothing about the college scene. I've heard the phrase 'bowl games' thrown around a lot, but I'm clueless about what makes some more prestigious than others. Can anyone help me broaden my knowledge in this area?
Absolutely, I'm glad you're curious about this!
Bowl games are post-season games in college football, and there are about 40 of them that take place annually. They originated as games between the top teams and have a long tradition, dating back to the first Rose Bowl Game in 1902. Over the years, more bowl games were added, and now they feature teams from most of the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) conferences.
However, not all bowl games carry the same prestige. The 'New Year's Six' bowl games are the most coveted and include the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl. These six rotate as sites for the College Football Playoff games, with two of these bowl games hosting the semi-final matchups each year on a rotating basis.
The College Football Playoff National Championship, a game between the winners of the two semi-final games, is not a bowl game, but it's the most prestigious game as it decides the national champion.
As for what differentiates these games, it comes mostly down to history – traditions and long-standing rivalries can make certain games more significant. Plus, payouts for these games (money paid to the colleges by the sponsoring entities) are much higher for the top games, which adds to their prestige.
Furthermore, team rankings and conference alignments also factor into which teams play in which bowl games. For instance, the Rose Bowl traditionally featured a match-up between the champions of the Big Ten and PAC-12 conferences. Sure, this has changed some with the advent of the playoffs, but generally, the significance of different bowls relates to the rank and conference of the participating teams along with the history and tradition of the game itself.
I hope that clarifies a bit about the importance and prestige of various college bowl games!
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