Why not make every non-NY6 bowl a regular season “challenge” between conferences? It’d essentially be the college football equivalent of an MTE.
For example, each ACC school could have a non-conference game at the beginning of the season where they play a Big Ten, Big 12, or SEC team (would rotate) based off the previous year’s standings. This would accomplish multiple objectives:
1. Since they’d be a regular season game, bowls would once again have significance in the playoff era and players would no longer elect to opt out
2. Networks retain early-season neutral site games and get to televise great matchups in the process
3. Create a memorable experience for senior classes who otherwise wouldn’t get a bowl game experience if their team finished below .500
4. It’d theoretically create more “balanced” schedules when comparing playoff contenders
5. Cold-weather cities would be more “palatable” for hosting bowl games since they’d be held in early September
Just some food for thought. What say you?
For example, each ACC school could have a non-conference game at the beginning of the season where they play a Big Ten, Big 12, or SEC team (would rotate) based off the previous year’s standings. This would accomplish multiple objectives:
1. Since they’d be a regular season game, bowls would once again have significance in the playoff era and players would no longer elect to opt out
2. Networks retain early-season neutral site games and get to televise great matchups in the process
3. Create a memorable experience for senior classes who otherwise wouldn’t get a bowl game experience if their team finished below .500
4. It’d theoretically create more “balanced” schedules when comparing playoff contenders
5. Cold-weather cities would be more “palatable” for hosting bowl games since they’d be held in early September
Just some food for thought. What say you?