SEC Bowl Location Question

[Reason2succeed]

Since the SEC and P5 schools have the biggest and wealthier fan bases that travel why don?t they make sure they have all the best destinations for bowls like the Bahamas Bowl and the Hawaii Bowl? Give me an opportunity to visit one of those locations and watch a State game and it would be a lot easier negation with the Mrs.

I understand why the Liberty Bowl wants SEC teams but why do SEC teams want the Liberty Bowl?!? Drop Memphis and Birmingham for some real destinations. The fan support can’t be any worse than these small schools take to Hawaii and the Bahamas.

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/21298188/week-10-college-football-bowl-projections-2017

[BulldogDX55]

The Liberty Bowl has "history" and is an easy destination for most SEC teams. BHam and Shreveport should be nixed for extra bowls in Atlanta and New Orleans now that Sugar and Peach are no longer official SEC tie ins.

[Bothrops]

If any bowl should be nixed, it should be the one in Montgomery.

[Johnson85]

Since the SEC and P5 schools have the biggest and wealthier fan bases that travel why don?t they make sure they have all the best destinations for bowls like the Bahamas Bowl and the Hawaii Bowl? Give me an opportunity to visit one of those locations and watch a State game and it would be a lot easier negation with the Mrs.

I understand why the Liberty Bowl wants SEC teams but why do SEC teams want the Liberty Bowl?!? Drop Memphis and Birmingham for some real destinations. The fan support can’t be any worse than these small schools take to Hawaii and the Bahamas.

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/21298188/week-10-college-football-bowl-projections-2017

Because those bowl locations can't pay. TV dollars cover a lot, but you also have a lot of money coming from local sponsors.

On top of that, I think you would find you are in the minority as far as wanting to go to a bowl game in a place like the bahamas. I don't want to pay to fly to the bahamas and then spend half a day of my time their watching a football game in a stadium. Even if I could just extend my time for a day, makes a lot more sense to drive to Memphis or Atlanta to watch a football game and pay for a hotel at those rates than fly to the bahamas and pay for the extra day there.

Same thought stopped me from going to Hawaii to watch basketball. Realized I would be spending all that money and then spend a significant amount of time indoors. Just doesn't make sense unless you have much more time and money available for travel than I do or even most affluent fans, who are still time constrained if not so much constrained by money.

[MzTerry]

The Liberty Bowl has "history" and is an easy destination for most SEC teams. BHam and Shreveport should be nixed for extra bowls in Atlanta and New Orleans now that Sugar and Peach are no longer official SEC tie ins.

Atlanta suuuucccckkkkkssss. Give me Birmingham all day. Other than that, I agree with this wholeheartedly.

[Reason2succeed]

Because those bowl locations can't pay. TV dollars cover a lot, but you also have a lot of money coming from local sponsors.

On top of that, I think you would find you are in the minority as far as wanting to go to a bowl game in a place like the bahamas. I don't want to pay to fly to the bahamas and then spend half a day of my time their watching a football game in a stadium. Even if I could just extend my time for a day, makes a lot more sense to drive to Memphis or Atlanta to watch a football game and pay for a hotel at those rates than fly to the bahamas and pay for the extra day there.

Same thought stopped me from going to Hawaii to watch basketball. Realized I would be spending all that money and then spend a significant amount of time indoors. Just doesn't make sense unless you have much more time and money available for travel than I do or even most affluent fans, who are still time constrained if not so much constrained by money.

You’re probably right but I figured since teams are scheduling games in Australia, Ireland, etc that there might be more fans who want to go to exotic locales. I do understand that bowl games are also short notice trips though.

PS I’m still shocked OM hasn’t announce an away-away series against Hawaii.

[BulldogDX55]

Atlanta suuuucccckkkkkssss. Give me Birmingham all day. Other than that, I agree with this wholeheartedly.

Hey now, that's my home. I am sure that the team would love to play in the new Mercedes Benz stadium and Atlanta itself is only about 4.5 hours from Starkville- anyone can do that drive.

[AusTexDawg]

Since the SEC and P5 schools have the biggest and wealthier fan bases that travel why don?t they make sure they have all the best destinations for bowls like the Bahamas Bowl and the Hawaii Bowl? Give me an opportunity to visit one of those locations and watch a State game and it would be a lot easier negation with the Mrs.

I understand why the Liberty Bowl wants SEC teams but why do SEC teams want the Liberty Bowl?!? Drop Memphis and Birmingham for some real destinations. The fan support can?t be any worse than these small schools take to Hawaii and the Bahamas.

I've wondered the same thing. The Bahamas Bowl is really tricky from a fan standpoint - you'll need both a passport and visa to go, and those can take quite a bit of time to arrange, especially since no one knows for sure where their team is going until after Championship Saturday.(although the Bahamas Bowl does have some deal for expedited passports and visas for the teams' travelling parties).

I would love to go to Hawaii for a bowl game if it occurred closer to New Year's Eve. Spending Christmas Eve/Day with the extended family is too big a deal to both my wife and me, and I suspect that's true for most State fans. And while I think Hawaii is a great trip, it's not cheap.


Because those bowl locations can't pay. TV dollars cover a lot, but you also have a lot of money coming from local sponsors....Same thought stopped me from going to Hawaii to watch basketball. Realized I would be spending all that money and then spend a significant amount of time indoors. Just doesn't make sense unless you have much more time and money available for travel than I do or even most affluent fans, who are still time constrained if not so much constrained by money.

Good points by Johnson about the low payouts in those bowls and the short travel turnaround. These are great examples of bowls that exist solely to provide TV content during a relative dead sports period.

I wish that the SEC had the option trade a few more bowl tie-ins with other leagues (selfishly, I would love to have the Alamo Bowl make it in the rotation occasionally, but even Heart of Dallas or Foster Farms Bowls might be an interesting trip for some fanbases) every few years to keep the rotation fresh. With the requirements for SEC teams to play a Power 5 during the regular season, it seems like we're getting too many repeated games in the bowl season that were played within the last two or three years either in the regular season or another bowl (maybe I'm the only one who feels that way).

[Political Hack]

Atlanta suuuucccckkkkkssss. Give me Birmingham all day. Other than that, I agree with this wholeheartedly.

I agree ATL isn't exactly New York, but B-Ham isn't exactly a beacon of cultural significance. I'd rather hang out in t-town than BHam.

[Jack Lambert]

Hell Ole Miss is playing in 12 bowl games and have the greatest QB after beating KY.