With the utmost respect for Thomas Jefferson and his fellow Declaration of Independence signees, as the month-long college bowl season is about to commence — we hold these truths to be self-evident: Ohio State can’t beat Michigan, Penn State can’t beat either one, and some college boosters and administrations are shelling out millions of dollars to coaches that couldn’t get them to the promised land.
One more ‘truth’ to ponder: any lingering thoughts that college athletics, particularly big-time football, are amateur athletics, I’ve got some ocean-front property to sell you in Arizona.
This time of the year, the coaching carousel rotates at an increased rate of speed. End-of-season firings get the attention, but other college head men shoved to the sideline earlier in the year are greatly affecting the pocketbooks attached to the golden goose. Among schools showing their head coach the door at season end included San Diego State, Houston, Syracuse, Indiana, Boise State, New Mexico, and Texas-El Paso among others.
Of all the college coaching news, the often-suspended Jim Harbaugh continues to grab headlines. Michigan’s undefeated start to a 12-0 season was achieved with their head coach at home watching their games on TV. Harbaugh was first suspended for three games at the beginning of the season. Michigan self-imposed the penalty stemming from alleged violations occurring during the COVID-19 dead period.
Harbaugh’s second three-game exit from the sidelines was due to a violation of the Big Ten policy on sportsmanship related to an alleged sign-stealing operation orchestrated by a former staff. While the final chapter of this coach-or-no-coach drama is yet to be penned, it is indeed ironic that the Wolverines’ head man was not permitted to coach his team in half of Michigan’s 12-game regular season schedule.
Of all the coaches jettisoned, Texas A&M’s mid-season decision to part ways with Jimbo Fisher may prove to have the most financial implications and define the madness surrounding the college game. Six years ago, the school lured Fisher away from Florida State with a 10-year $75 million contract. After one good year, the delighted Aggies extended Fisher with a sweeter 10-year deal worth $95 million.
That honeymoon drew stale, and following some recent underwhelming seasons, A&M decided to part ways with Fisher. But in doing so, the Aggies are set to pay Fisher a $79 million buyout, nearly three times the record for a coach to just go away.
Also, deep in the heart of Texas, my alma mater, the University of Houston, showed the door to Dana Holgorsen following the school’s third losing season in the past five years. Holgorsen joined the Cougars after a successful career at West Virginia and guided the team to their new conference home in the Big-12. The team finished the season 4-8, 2-7 in Big-12 play and have missed an appearance in a bowl game since 2019. The Cougars kitty will dowl out $14.5 million for a Holgorsen departing gift.
Bowl games are a BIG Deal to college football programs, particularly those known as the New Year’s Six. These bowls — Rose, Orange, Sugar, Cotton, Peach, and Fiesta — rotate the hosting of the two semifinal games and the national championship game.
These New Year’s Six Bowls continue their original history of pitting the very best teams in the country against each other. These games focus on the top 12 teams in the rankings, with only five teams ranked lower than 12th having ever played since the College Football Playoff system was inaugurated.
According to the College Football Playoff, each conference receives $6 million for each team selected for a semifinal game and $4 million for each team that plays in a non-playoff bowl under the College Football playoff system. There is no additional payout for the National Championship game; only additional expenses are covered.
Since the early bowl concept was established, these games featured only the very best teams, but the lure of money brought about a growing proliferation of new bowl games requiring more teams to play in them. By 2010, 70 college teams played in a bowl game with that number reaching 80 by 2015. As a result, the NCAA steadily relaxed the criteria for bowl eligibility.
In 2010, all that was required was a non-winning 6-6 record. Requirements were then further reduced in 2012 to allow teams with 5-7 records to be selected. In those instances, the team with the best Academic Progress Rate score would be chosen first.
As is the case in all sports competitions, getting to ‘the dance’ is what it is all about. Once you are in, anything can happen. One thing is certain: those famous sports utterances “get your popcorn ready” and “show me the money” are the ingredients driving the longevity of college coaches these days!
The loyalty and passion of sports fans for their teams have long existed. For more than six decades, South Williamsport’s Larry Coolidge has been one of the most faithful followers of Mountaineers teams. A quiet man, often unnoticed amidst the crowd, Larry seldom missed a game, regardless of the sport.
He was there on November 25 to cheer on his nephew Evan Ogden and his teammates when South Williamsport beat Cambria Heights 33-0 in the Class A quarterfinals. After congratulating Evan on the field, riding home, he collapsed and passed away just an hour after one of his proudest moments as a fan.
It has been said that ‘cowboys die with their boots on.’ For Larry Coolidge, he proudly wore his Mountaineer pride to the very end.
