"Notre Dame opted out after what had to feel like one of the crueler playoff snubs imaginable (non-2023 Florida State edition, anyway). So did Kansas State and Iowa State (who, to be fair, lost their head coaches and had basically taken a bowl trip to Ireland to start the season already). When the Birmingham Bowl was looking for an opponent for Georgia Southern, it had to search pretty deep into the bin of 5-7 teams before finding one willing and able to make the flight."
"Once the field is set, however, the vibes don't matter. With two delightful Saturday matchups -- Prairie View A&M vs. South Carolina State in the Cricket Celebration bowl at noon ET, then Boise State vs. Washington in the Bucked Up LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk at 8 p.m. (with Army-Navy in between, of course) -- the train leaves the station."
Interest in college football bowl games has waned, with high-profile programs such as Notre Dame, Kansas State and Iowa State opting out of postseason play. Some bowl organizers struggled to find willing participants, forcing selection of lower-tier 5-7 teams to fill matchups. Despite diminished prestige and mixed public vibes, scheduled bowl games will proceed across a wide geographic slate and produce entertaining, unpredictable moments and fan-driven antics. Early bowl matchups include Prairie View A&M vs. South Carolina State in the Cricket Celebration Bowl and Boise State vs. Washington in the Bucked Up LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk. Bowl games are described across thirteen categories for framing purposes.
Read at ESPN.com
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