Pac-12 rules 5-7 football teams ineligible for bowl games

The Pac-12 has decided that if you only win five games in a season, you will not be going to a bowl game, no matter what. Currently, there is a rule that will allow a 5-7 team to go bowling if there are not enough eligible teams, and you have a qualifying APR. With the number of bowl games, this has become more common over the last couple of seasons. The Utes were actually looking at such a possiblity themselves in 2013 when they were 5-7, but just barely enough teams made it.

I find this an interesting decision, because it could potentially hurt the conference revenue wise, since a 5-7 team in a bowl game should still get their bowl payment, which is split among the rest of the league. I do think it’s farily “noble,” if you will, because the season should mean more than just what it’s becoming with so many bowls.

Larry Scott told the AP:

“The Pac-12 is committed to supporting the highest quality of competition at post-season bowl games,” Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said in a statement to The Associated Press on Monday. “In requiring a minimum of six regular season wins our goal is to support the significance of the bowl season and provide our fans around the country with the most exciting games featuring our leading Pac-12 teams.”

Mike Leach raised the counter argument in their article, which is a good one, click the link above to check it out. I just hope this is one of the decisions that doesn’t come back to bite the league, as the 9 game conference schedule has over the last couple of seasons. Whereas I could see a league, like the SEC, gobbling up as many bids as possible regardless of record.