The future of college football's 35 bowl games hangs in the balance as the College Football Playoff prepares to expand to 24 teams starting in 2027, Bowl Season executive director Nick Carparelli told CBS Sports.
Roughly six bowl executives met last week in Irving, Texas, to discuss a postseason being reshaped by conferences and television partners that have not yet finalized their plans. The CFP's handshake agreement to double its field will add nearly $350 million to the existing $1.3 billion, six-year deal with ESPN. The bowls' conference agreements and television deals expire after this season, and the expansion will pull 12 additional teams — mostly from Power Four conferences — out of the bowl pool.
"I would say that it's too soon to predict the number of bowl games moving forward," Carparelli said. "But I think it's safe to say that, as a complementary part of college football's postseason, there will still be more teams playing in bowl games than are participating in the playoff." He added that the bowl system is not going anywhere, though it could change drastically.
Viewership Value and Network Interest
Despite concerns about a watered-down product, bowl games remain valuable television inventory. Non-playoff bowls on ESPN networks averaged 3.1 million viewers last season, a 13% increase and the highest non-playoff average since 2015-16. By comparison, only 22.8% of regular-season games through Week 7 topped 3.1 million viewers, and just 3.5% matched the 9.1 million drawn by last season's Citrus Bowl between Michigan and Texas — both of which would have been playoff teams in a 24-team format.
"Even with 24 in the playoff, there's still nearly 60 deserving teams that may want a place to play," Carparelli said. "It's been proven that fans still love watching those games." ESPN Events, which owns and operates 17 bowl games, remains profitable and has shown no hesitation despite the network's increased playoff costs.
Conference Proposals and Creative Ideas
Power Four conferences have floated a consortium of 10 bowls pitting their teams against each other without traditional conference tie-ins, with conferences controlling television rights. The top 10 non-playoff bowls paid out more than $50 million combined last season. Carparelli confirmed the concept came from the leagues and said bowl membership is generally accepting of the idea.
Other ideas include maximizing matchups after playoff selections, emphasizing geography, team quality, and rivalries. Traditional New Year's Eve and New Year's Day slots could shift, and conference tie-ins to specific bowl sites might disappear. Group of Six conferences have not pitched a similar package but remain engaged.
Financial Pressure and Timelines
For bowl operators, the cost of waiting is measured in sponsorships and gate receipts. Scott Ramsey, president and CEO of the Music City Bowl, said the longer a decision drags, "the more challenging it gets to figure out funding mechanisms." His game's SEC-Big Ten matchup is open once its contract expires this year, and the value proposition has shifted toward viewership over attendance.
Carparelli said Bowl Season has run projections for the next cycle but declined to specify whether the number of games would change drastically from 35. "There is every indication that there is a need and a desire for more postseason opportunities beyond the playoff," he said. "It's just a matter of figuring out what that looks like once the dust settles."
