After three 5-7 college football teams were invited to bowl games this year due to the sheer number of slots needed to be filled (80), NCAA president Mark Emmert has suggested a reexamination of the entire bowl system.
“The members are gonna have to figure out, what’s the purpose of bowl games?” Emmert said Wednesday, per USA Today. “Is it a reward for a successful season or is it just another game that we’re gonna provide an opportunity for? … We need to look hard at that.”
77 FBS teams finished with records of 6-6 or better this season. The Nebraska Cornhuskers, Minnesota Golden Gophers and San Jose State Spartans all finished 5-7 and were picked to fill the three remaining bowl slots in order of their Academic Progress Rate.
ACC athletic directors have voted to increase the bowl eligibility requirement to 7-5, but such a measure would have to be approved on the national level. While the NCAA doesn't have the power to limit the sheer number of bowl games, they are responsible for certifying them.
Big 12 president Bob Bowlsby, chairman of the NCAA's football oversight committee, told reporters that solutions will be examined before next season and that the majority of people would rather not have 5-7 teams play in bowl games.
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