PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Even as college football’s powerbrokers wrestle with how — and whether — to fill 2016 postseason bowls with teams with sub-.500 records, as many as four cities have considered starting new bowls.
Groups from Austin, Charleston, S.C., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and St. Louis have indicated varying levels of interest in applying for NCAA bowl certification. Although it appears unlikely at this point that any of the prospective bowls would become reality in 2016, the prospect has created concern.
For the first time, the 2015 postseason included teams with 5-7 records. After the addition of two new bowls ballooned the total to 40, only 77 teams met the eligibility requirement of at least a 6-6 record, three shy of the number needed.