My understanding was that if you are on the team you get to go, it was a reward for the hard work you put in regardless of if you are in the top 3 on the depth chart. My son told me that if Hawaii had gone to a mainland bowl they had already told the team that everyone would be taken regardless of where the stood on the depth chart, injury, redshirt, whatever.
And I was lead to believe that in the past BYU had taken everyone on the team as well. I wonder if that was actually true or if this is simply a new thing this year?