On this site you will see that the Cotton Bowl for 2014-15 is hosting:

at-large vs. Group of Five

Again, while the Cotton Bowl is part of the six rotating bowls - it is not hosting until 2015-16 the playoffs.

You might be able to locate it under fbschedules.com as well. I am not saying we will be going to the Cotton Bowl, but it certainly could be a second option:

As a business plan it makes sense. Any bowl wants to see fans in the seats and a viewing audience. A bowl would rather see 10,000 fans (BYU) in the seats vs. 3,000 to 6,000 fans from the Group of Five conferences. BYU travels and has an exciting brand of football that people watch! Bowls want to sell tickets regardless of who puts the bodies in the seats. The Cotton Bowl was surprised at how many BYU fans traveled to the game in 1996. That includes BYU fans purchasing tickets through Kansas State's website vs. through BYU.

List the teams in the Group of Five that would in your opinion provide a larger market than BYU?

ACC: Cincinnati, UConn, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, SMU, Temple, Tulane, Tusla, UCF, USF (I would give Houston and UCF out of this group to come close to BYU)
CUSA: Charlotte, FIU, Florida Atlantic, LT, Marshall, Middle Tenn, North Texas, Old Dominion, Rice, So Miss, UAB, UTEP, UTSA, Western Kentucky (nobody in this group)
MAC: Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (OH), Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo, UMass, Western Michigan (nobody in this group)
MWC: AFA, Boise, CSU, FSU, UH, Nevada, NM, SDSU, SJSU, UNLV, USU, Wyo (Boise - if they defeat us)
Sun Belt: Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Georgia So, Georgia State, Idaho, NMSU, So Alabama, Texas State, Troy, UL Lafayette, ULM (nobody in this group)

In other words, I can see maybe Houston, UCF, and BSU as potential teams. However, we both know that BYU brings more to the table than any of these schools. BYU could be the at-large school vs. replacing the Group of Five???? I doubt it, as I would expect one of the Big Five schools to be the at-large team.

It does make good business sense - Especially if ESPN is leading the charge and pulls the money strings for bowl games.


Go Cougars!!!!!!!!!!!