Diving into college football’s bowl season and new playoff format

College football has two main tiers, each with its own unique way of handling postseason games. The lower-tier Football Conference Subdivision follows a bracket-style format for its championship, while the elite Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) hosts independent postseason matchups known as bowl games. These bowl games have a long history, starting back in 1902 with the creation of the first college football bowl game by the Tournament of Roses Association. Over the years, other cities began hosting their own bowl games, leading to an explosion in the number of games and the money involved. Despite changes in how the national champion is determined, bowl games remain a staple of the football postseason.

Bowl games generate significant revenue for host cities, with last year’s championship game in Houston providing an economic boost of $200 million. Teams also stand to win substantial payouts, ranging from $225,000 to over $8 million in 2023. The new 12-team playoff format offers even larger payouts, with playoff-bound schools’ conferences receiving $4 million for qualifying and additional funds for expenses. Beyond the money, bowl games are important for teams to showcase their success, attract recruits, and build excitement for the next season.