2025 Bowl Projection Tracker

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A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
I get that the players voted on it, but I feel bad for the seniors…
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What if a lot of them were the ones to opt out?

Kansas St already had an extra long season going to Ireland to play Iowa St in Week Zero. Sort of like a Bowl experience there.

To me it shows just how minimally a substantial amount of players value the experience of this Consolation exercise, especially if they are not going to get paid any extra (or a paltry amount).

A 6-6 season, HC retiring, why not just move on with whatever next chapter there is in their lives.
 

Ope3 said:
What if a lot of them were the ones to opt out?

Kansas St already had an extra long season going to Ireland to play Iowa St in Week Zero. Sort of like a Bowl experience there.

To me it shows just how minimally a substantial amount of players value the experience of this Consolation exercise, especially if they are not going to get paid any extra (or a paltry amount).

A 6-6 season, HC retiring, why not just move on with whatever next chapter there is in their lives.
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Bowl swag has become bowl scraps in the NIL era.
 

stocker08 said:
Bowl swag has become bowl scraps in the NIL era.
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Wonder if there are still limits on what you can get, or if its all out the window now? Like could the Pinstripe bowl give every player 10K for participating? Not saying they would, but could you do that?
 

gopherbadgerman said:
Wonder if there are still limits on what you can get, or if its all out the window now? Like could the Pinstripe bowl give every player 10K for participating? Not saying they would, but could you do that?
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I think it was always up to the sponsor. The sponsors were the folks who were pushing the "look what we gave them" kinda info.
 


A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
I think it was always up to the sponsor. The sponsors were the folks who were pushing the "look what we gave them" kinda info.
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I thought there used to be limits on gifts. Maybe I am remembering incorrectly. I am sure there is nothing in place like that anymore though...
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
I think it was always up to the sponsor. The sponsors were the folks who were pushing the "look what we gave them" kinda info.
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A limit was imposed 6 - 9 years ago that they could not offer more than ~$550 in swag.

That has not been adjusted since, as far as I know

Edit - Some sponsors are skirting that limit, but I didn't give this article a full vetting:

www.sportico.com

Bowl Swag Bags Invite Tax Blitz on NIL-Era College Players

Lavish college bowl swag bags and gifting suites aren't as much of a treat for players: They'll owe taxes on gifts they get as self-employed workers.
www.sportico.com www.sportico.com
 
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Unregistered User said:
A limit was imposed 6 - 9 years ago that they could not offer more than ~$550 in swag.

That has not been adjusted since, as far as I know

Edit - Some sponsors are skirting that limit, but I didn't give this article a full vetting:

www.sportico.com

Bowl Swag Bags Invite Tax Blitz on NIL-Era College Players

Lavish college bowl swag bags and gifting suites aren't as much of a treat for players: They'll owe taxes on gifts they get as self-employed workers.
www.sportico.com www.sportico.com
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Some bigger bowls and sponsors could turn to paying players directly to make sure star players don't opt out.

College basketball just had a tournament where the winning team split up a $1 million bonus, which was in addition to getting paid just to show up and play.
 

MGGopher said:
Yeah, just trolling other fan boards, I’m starting to think it’s Rate as well. Nebraska seems to think they’re nearly a lock for Vegas, although Illinois is in the cards…but whichever team doesn’t get Vegas is in Nashville.

Another year, another “whichever bowl is the absolute lowest you could imagine Minnesota being placed is where they’ll end up.” Whatever.
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Gopher fans won't travel well due to level of bowl and being there just a few years ago. Have some snow birds and few but not many.
 





Texan Gopher said:
Yep. The Rate Bowl is hoping they get us because of all the snowbirds that are there.
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Snowbirds, yes but how many are Gopher fans or football fans that will attend the game? 5,000? If that I would guess. I traveled to Charlotte last year, NYC to see Pinstripe as it was a new bowl, Outback and others. Seeing the Gophers play Cincinatti or even a lack luster Iowa State does nothing to move the needle for me and other fans I've talked to IN MINNESOTA. That 2021 Rate Bowl vs West Virginia (18-6) was one of the worst games I've seen with quality of play and turf conditions. I guess we won though so there's that. Is Rate better than Pinstripe and of course Game Above, of course. But yawn...while Nebraska will get Vegas amd Utah. That would draw a ton of fans.
 

T
BigSchmidty17 said:
Snowbirds, yes but how many are Gopher fans or football fans that will attend the game? 5,000? If that I would guess. I traveled to Charlotte last year, NYC to see Pinstripe as it was a new bowl, Outback and others. Seeing the Gophers play Cincinatti or even a lack luster Iowa State does nothing to move the needle for me and other fans I've talked to IN MINNESOTA. That 2021 Rate Bowl vs West Virginia (18-6) was one of the worst games I've seen with quality of play and turf conditions. I guess we won though so there's that. Is Rate better than Pinstripe and of course Game Above, of course. But yawn...while Nebraska will get Vegas amd Utah. That would draw a ton of fans.
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The date is another issue, the 26 is an inconvenient date for travel / conflicts.
 




BigSchmidty17 said:
100% agree on that. I would honestly rather have us play like a Wyoming in Boise. Switch it up play new teams, new venues and new fans to chat with. That's just us (friends and I)
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So playing a mid-tier G5 school in Boise is better than playing a mid-tier Big12 school in Phoenix in your opinion. Wow!
 

Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0 said:
So playing a mid-tier G5 school in Boise is better than playing a mid-tier Big12 school in Phoenix in your opinion. Wow!
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Not playing for anything either way. Why does a win over Cincinatti get you all excited? And seeing the team play in Arizona for the 5th or 6th time? If they play a AZ State at Rate Bowl it would be more exciting.
 

In my opinion besides maybe a couple thousand hardcore fans it makes no difference to most if the Gophers are in Vegas, New York, Nashville, or Phoenix. Maybe some dates are a little bit more convenient but its all 3rd tier bowl games and outside of some fans complaining about the opponent or the location, its all basically the same. An extra game for a decent season. Same for the team we will be playing.
 


BigSchmidty17 said:
Not playing for anything either way. Why does a win over Cincinatti get you all excited? And seeing the team play in Arizona for the 5th or 6th time? If they play a AZ State at Rate Bowl it would be more exciting.
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It’s all about the opponent to me. Whichever bowl matches us up with the most fun (subjective I know) P4 team to play is the best one.
 


gopherbadgerman said:
In my opinion besides maybe a couple thousand hardcore fans it makes no difference to most if the Gophers are in Vegas, New York, Nashville, or Phoenix. Maybe some dates are a little bit more convenient but its all 3rd tier bowl games and outside of some fans complaining about the opponent or the location, its all basically the same. An extra game for a decent season. Same for the team we will be playing.
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Yeah, my only preference is being able to watch on TV without having to take time off from work (or DVRing and watching much later).

The Rate Bowl at 4:30 PM on a Friday, I can handle.
 

Ope3 said:
Yeah, my only preference is being able to watch on TV without having to take time off from work (or DVRing and watching much later).

The Rate Bowl at 4:30 PM on a Friday, I can handle.
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Me too. My daughter goes to school in Phoenix, so it would have been a nice trip if it had not been over her winter break lol
 

BigSchmidty17 said:
Not playing for anything either way. Why does a win over Cincinatti get you all excited? And seeing the team play in Arizona for the 5th or 6th time? If they play a AZ State at Rate Bowl it would be more exciting.
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1. A bowl game against Cincinnati or Iowa State etc. isn't a sure thing. Minnesota should be heavily favored in a matchup with Fresno or New Mexico for example. A game in Phoenix would be a better game from a fan perspective.

2. A game in Phoenix against a more challenging opponent would attract much more interest than going to Boise to see what would likely be a one sided game. It's not even close.
 

If New York is set on having a bowl game is there not an indoor stadium somewhere?
 

gopherbadgerman said:
In my opinion besides maybe a couple thousand hardcore fans it makes no difference to most if the Gophers are in Vegas, New York, Nashville, or Phoenix. Maybe some dates are a little bit more convenient but its all 3rd tier bowl games and outside of some fans complaining about the opponent or the location, its all basically the same. An extra game for a decent season. Same for the team we will be playing.
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I agree that the games themselves aren’t that different, but I strongly disagree that it doesn’t matter. In terms of TV exposure, “brand” and quality of the opponent, and likelihood of fans traveling, Phoenix is FAR worse than Vegas or Nashville. Playing on 12/30 or NYE against Utah, LSU, or Tennessee would draw a ton more eyeballs and traveling fans than 12/26 against Cincinnati. Who knows if it makes any difference at all in the long run, but I don’t think anyone can argue that Vegas and Nashville are far, far desirable locations.

EDIT to say I’m starting to think PJ and Coyle either don’t care or they actively lobby to end up in these lower bowls against worse opponents for a better chance to win the games. I think they’re the only 8-4 teams in history to play in the Rate and Pinstripe?
 


When I look at (1) team records, and (2) the fact that USC and Washington should, by rights, go to one of the many bowls with a former PAC-12 tie-in (last year of this feature), that means Illinois or Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska should get the Las Vegas, Music City and Guaranteed Rate Bowl, s (Michigan and either Iowa or Illinois, both at 8-4, should get the Citrus and Reliaquest bowl). Illinois or Iowa, whichever falls out of a top bowl, hould get the best of the next three: Music City? (close to Illinois and Iowa--should draw well). That leaves the Gophs and Nebraska, both at 7-5, to divide up Las Vegas and Guaranteed Rate (because Penn State and Northwestern, both at 6-6, should get Pinstripe and Game Above Sports Bowls). Since the Gophs have been to Guaranteed Rate recently, I think the Gophs should get the Las Vegas Bowl (or Music City, if Illinois ends up in Vegas). Of course, my attempts at Bowl logic, usually tainted by optimism, are normally wrong! The Northwestern loss made a huge difference this year in bowl choice.
 

MGGopher said:
I agree that the games themselves aren’t that different, but I strongly disagree that it doesn’t matter. In terms of TV exposure, “brand” and quality of the opponent, and likelihood of fans traveling, Phoenix is FAR worse than Vegas or Nashville. Playing on 12/30 or NYE against Utah, LSU, or Tennessee would draw a ton more eyeballs and traveling fans than 12/26 against Cincinnati. Who knows if it makes any difference at all in the long run, but I don’t think anyone can argue that Vegas and Nashville are far, far desirable locations.

EDIT to say I’m starting to think PJ and Coyle either don’t care or they actively lobby to end up in these lower bowls against worse opponents for a better chance to win the games. I think they’re the only 8-4 teams in history to play in the Rate and Pinstripe?
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I was semi okay with NYC and Rate bowls in the past, IIRC Gophers were slotted ahead of those bowls, because at least we marked so off so hopefully we'd get a better bowl (aka jump someone later). If we go there again versus Vegas (never) or Nashville (20 years), it's annoying.
 

We have only ourselves to blame. We travel OK, but not like Nebraska or Iowa. Beat NW and I guarantee we're in Nashville or Vegas.
 

MGGopher said:
I agree that the games themselves aren’t that different, but I strongly disagree that it doesn’t matter. In terms of TV exposure, “brand” and quality of the opponent, and likelihood of fans traveling, Phoenix is FAR worse than Vegas or Nashville. Playing on 12/30 or NYE against Utah, LSU, or Tennessee would draw a ton more eyeballs and traveling fans than 12/26 against Cincinnati. Who knows if it makes any difference at all in the long run, but I don’t think anyone can argue that Vegas and Nashville are far, far desirable locations.

EDIT to say I’m starting to think PJ and Coyle either don’t care or they actively lobby to end up in these lower bowls against worse opponents for a better chance to win the games. I think they’re the only 8-4 teams in history to play in the Rate and Pinstripe?
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Maybe for some hardcore fans but not from a bigger picture perspective. At least in my opinion. All these 3rd tier bowl games are just a dime a dozen and most people who watch them don’t care who’s playing.
 

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