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| Guy Lombardo (1902–1977) (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
- Clemson, Alabama, Oklahoma and Michigan State are this year's participants in the College Football Playoff. The semifinals, held last year at the Rose and Sugar bowls on New Year's Day, will this year be at the Orange and Cotton bowls on New Year's Eve. Why? Because of tradition and existing TV contracts, the CFP is being rotated between those games on a yearly basis. Which means we have a situation where, as the confusing Jimmy Kimmel commercials try to point out, the football playoff is supposed to be the new tradition alongside "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest". (Or so ESPN hopes.) That is, unless the ghosts of Clark and Guy Lombardo exact their revenge.
- The NCAA has sanctioned 41 bowls this year. The minimum for qualifying to play in one of these games is six victories and an acceptable (to the NCAA) academic record. However, not enough schools qualified this season, so the number has been dropped to five victories. Which means that schools like Minnesota, the Big Ten conference's paragon of mediocre football, can get into a lower-tier bowl game with a 5-7 record. When that happens, you know there are too many bowl games.
Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl: Alcorn State vs. North Carolina A&T (Atlanta, GA 12/19) ABC
First season.
Auto Nation Cure Bowl: San Jose State vs. Georgia State (Orlando, FL 12/19) CBS Sports Network
Automotive retailer. First season.
Gildan New Mexico Bowl: Arizona vs. New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM 12/19) ESPN
Active wear.
Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl: Brigham Young vs. Utah (Las Vegas, NV 12/19) ABC
Auto products.
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl: Ohio vs. Appalachian State (Montgomery, AL 12/19) ESPN
Broadcasting company.
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Arkansas State vs. Louisiana Tech (New Orleans, LA 12/19) ESPN
Shipping firm.
Miami Beach Bowl: Western Kentucky vs. South Florida (Miami, FL 12/21) ESPN
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Akron vs. Utah State (Boise, ID 12/22) ESPN
Marmot Boca Raton Bowl: Toledo vs. Temple (Boca Raton, FL 12/22) ESPN
Outdoor clothing and sporting goods.
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: Boise State vs. Northern Illinois (San Diego, CA 12/23) ESPN
Financial services.
GoDaddy Bowl: Georgia Southern vs. Bowling Green (Mobile, AL 12/23) ESPN
Website domain names.
Popeyes Bahamas Bowl: Middle Tennessee vs. Western Michigan (Nassau, Bahamas 12/24) ESPN
Chicken and seafood restaurant chain.
Hawaii Bowl: San Diego State vs. Cincinnati (Honolulu, HW 12/24) ESPN
St. Petersburg Bowl: Connecticut vs. Marshall (St. Petersburg. FL 12/26) ESPN
Hyundai Sun Bowl: Miami vs. Washington State (El Paso, TX 12/26) CBS
Automobile manufacturer.
Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl: Washington vs. Southern Mississippi (Dallas, TX 12/26) ESPN
Chicken restaurant chain.
New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Indiana vs. Duke (Yankee Stadium, New York 12/26) ABC
Sports apparel.
Camping World Independence Bowl: Tulsa vs. Virginia Tech (Shreveport, LA 12/26) ESPN
RV supplies.
Foster Farms Bowl: UCLA vs. Nebraska (Santa Clara, CA 12/26) ESPN
West-coast based poultry firm.
Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman: Pittsburgh vs. Navy (Annapolis, MD 12/28) ESPN
Defense contractor.
Quick Lane Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Minnesota (Detroit, MI 12/28) ESPN2
Auto care shops.
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: California vs. Air Force (Ft. Worth, TX 12/29) ESPN
Defense contractor.
Russell Athletic Bowl: North Carolina vs. Baylor (Orlando, FL 12/29) ESPN
Action wear.
NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl: Nevada vs. Colorado State (Tucson, AZ 12/29) Campus Insiders (website) and American Sports Network (broadcast)
Arizona-based mortgage lender. First season.
AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl: LSU vs. Texas Tech (Houston, TX 12/29) ESPN
Nutritional supplements.
Birmingham Bowl: Auburn vs. Memphis (Birmingham, AL 12/30) ESPN
Belk Bowl: North Carolina State vs. Mississippi State (Charlotte, NC 12/30) ESPN
Southeastern-based department store chain.
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Louisville (Nashville, TN 12/30) ESPN
Financial services.
Holiday Bowl: USC vs. Wisconsin (San Diego, CA 12/30) ESPN
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl: Houston vs. Florida State (Atlanta, GA 12/31) ESPN
Chicken restaurant chain.
Capital One Orange Bowl (CFP Semifinal): Oklahoma vs. Clemson (Miami Gardens, FL 12/31) ESPN
Financial services.
Goodyear Cotton Bowl (CFP Semifinal): Michigan State vs. Alabama (Arlington, TX 12/31) ESPN
Tires and blimps.
Outback Bowl: Northwestern vs. Tennessee (Tampa, FL 1/1/16) ESPN2
Steak restaurant chain.
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl: Michigan vs. Florida (Orlando, FL 1/1/16) ABC
Chicken wing restaurant chain.
BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State (Glendale, AZ 1/1/16) ESPN
Obstacle racing series.
Rose Bowl Presented by Northwestern Mutual: Stanford vs. Iowa (Pasadena, CA 1/1/16) ESPN
Financial services.
Allstate Sugar Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Mississippi (New Orleans, LA 1/1/16) ESPN
Insurance and financial services.
TaxSlayer Bowl: Penn State vs. Georgia (Jacksonville, FL 1/2) ESPN
Online tax preparation.
AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Kansas State vs. Arkansas (Memphis, TN 1/2) ESPN
Auto parts stores.
Valero Alamo Bowl: Oregon vs. Texas Christian (San Antonio, TX 1/2) ESPN
Energy company.
Motel 6 Cactus Bowl: West Virginia vs. Arizona State (Phoenix, AZ 1/2) ESPN
Overnight lodging chain.
College Football Playoff National Championship Game Presented by AT&T (Glendale, AZ 1/11) ESPN
Communications giant.
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