National Football Foundation

Since 1902, bowl games have served as the heart of college football's postseason play, providing fans nationwide with a meaningful opportunity to support their teams one more time. By preserving tradition, relying mainly on volunteer support, and allowing college students to experience rich cultural experiences, collegiate bowl games are perhaps the most unique custom in all of college sports.

A part of college football for 90 years, bowl games have brought a measure of importance to the regular season not seen in any other sport. Every contest means something, which adds to the pageantry and excitement of the game. While the number of bowls continues to increase, half of the current bowl games have been around for at least 15 years. Some of the longest-running bowls, including the Rose, Orange, Cotton, Sugar and Sun, have been played for over 70 years.

The majority of bowl games are non-profit organizations, relying heavily on volunteerism in the local community. As a result, the more revenue a bowl brings in through ticket sales, sponsors, etc., the larger the payout to participating schools. In the 2006-07 season alone, 32 bowl games distributed more than $210 million to NCAA schools and more than $900 million has been paid out in the past six years. In addition, bowl teams share postseason revenue with all schools in their conference, thus distributing funds to schools that do not even qualify for a bowl. 

Last season, over 6,200 student-athletes, 12,500 band members and 1,200 cheerleaders visited a variety of diverse locations by attending bowl games. Luaus and tours of Pearl Harbor were prevalent at the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl. The NFF's National Hall of Fame Salute took place at the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, and student-athletes at the Champs Sports Bowl visited Orlando's renowned theme parks. With 27 cities throughout the U.S. and Canada hosting 32 bowls in 2006, one thing is certain - the cultural experiences unique to the college football postseason would surely be lost in a playoff setting.

Viewed on television by 125 million households and attended by 1.6 million, collegiate bowl game traditions and the estimated $1.3 billion they bring to hosting communities significantly contribute to the wellbeing of amateur football.

Source: Football Bowl Association