College football is one of the greatest financial institutions in the American economy. We buy t-shirts, hats, cups, pens and proudly brag about the ability of our Alma mater to beat their competitors without mercy. In my eyes the Texas A&M Aggies are the greatest football team even when we are losing. This is a prime example of what I am talking about.
There is something about knowing the place you attended to obtain a degree has respect in football and of course academics. Somehow the two are more connected than we realize. A college with great athletic programs is popular, which means potential students know about it and want to attend it. Popularity of a college/university also increases the value of their degree in the market place. It is a smart business decision for a college or university to build up their athletic departments.
What garners more attention in college athletics than any thing else? Bowl games! Bowl games bring in millions of dollars to universities that are fortunate enough to make it to them. Bowl games also hold the best kept secret in college football. Number one is not always number one. Number one is often the number one draw for financial purposes. There are many teams that have achieved undefeated seasons in years when a one lost team played for the national championship.
Why isn’t there a college playoffs much like the nfl? It doesn’t make financial sense. Bowl games create hype, hype creates anticipation and anticipation creates greater demand. This demand drives the ability of millions of viewers to watch the games around the holidays. This demand makes number one and number two of greater importance than who is the best team right?
Sometimes they get it right, or do they? We will never know until there is actually a college playoff system, but there will never be a college playoff system as long as it is more lucrative to place a one and two that will draw the biggest crowd on game day. Personally, I do not believe the University of Texas is any better than Boise State whose record of 14-0 is impressive. From a financial standpoint though Boise State vs. Alabama just doesn’t sound as good as Texas vs. Alabama. What is better than two states going at it!
Disclaimer: I am a proud Aggie and I will never believe that T.U. deserves to be in any bowl game especially since we almost embarrassed them in Kyle Field this year!
