With the NCAA adding a 42nd game to the 2021-22 college football bowl schedule, it makes you wonder about some of those contests from years past. It seems ridiculous that another matchup is required given just how many defunct college football bowl games we’ve witnessed come and go in the modern era.
Now, we could argue that this exhibition isn’t needed. Seriously, is it really necessary to bend over backwards for a 6-7 Hawaii team playing in a low-end high school stadium? Finishing with six wins is the bowl qualifier. It doesn’t mean teams with six wins need to play in the postseason.
Regardless of that, this one-time only contest will soon join a number of other defunct college football bowl games in the modern era. Here are a few things you may not remember about those exhibitions.
By the way, we’re only looking back at the past 20 years or so. There is so much to unpack with bowl games that came before Y2K that we’ll eventually do a separate article on that topic.
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Things you may not remember about defunct college football bowl games in the modern era
A disaster in Seattle
The Seattle Bowl was a total flop. Frasier and Nils Crane did a better job managing that French restaurant they bought on a whim than the organizers of this disaster. On the field, it produced unmemorable matchups. Off the field, it was a massive money loser. The 2002 game almost didn’t happen as organizers literally submitted an NCAA mandated letter of credit for $1.5 million with minutes to spare. After two years, the event racked up an estimated $1 million in debt.
Things got really messy from there. The Seattle Bowl’s woes were made clear in early 2003 when the Mountain West Conference sued organizers trying to recoup a $250,000 participation fee. Despite the pending litigation, Pro Sports & Entertainment Inc. tried to buy the rights shortly after the 2002 contest. However, it turned out the company wasn’t even a business and the bowl folded.
Buffalo goes bowling in Canada
Prior to the 2008 season, the University of Buffalo had never played in a bowl game. The school did receive an invite to the 1958 Tangerine Bowl, but the game prohibited blacks and whites from playing together. The Bulls, who had two black players on their team, rejected those terms. They would not have the chance to go bowling until the 2009 International Bowl played in nearby Toronto.
Buffalo lost to UConn despite leading 20-17 at halftime. The International Bowl itself would be canceled in 2010 after a four-year run.
Fight on the beach
Don’t tell BYU and Memphis that the Miami Beach Bowl didn’t matter. The two teams got into a brawl after a double-overtime thriller that ended 55-48 in favor of the Tigers. This fight got pretty wild with the highlight being BYU defensive back Kai Nacua punching a Memphis player in the back of the head.
Unfortunately for the Miami Beach Bowl, the next two games weren’t nearly as entertaining and no one wanted to watch college football, or any sports for that matter, at Marlins Park. The bowl would be moved to Texas in 2017.
Making money
Want to know why cities are eager to host bowl games? Look no further than the 2004 Silicon Valley Bowl. The game featured two teams (Northern Illinois and Troy) that had no connection to California, was played in a massive storm, started 23-minutes late, welcomed less than 6,000 attendees and still netted a cool $200,000.
Despite the financial success, the game was axed in 2005 due to an NCAA stipulation that required bowls to draw 70 percent occupancy or 25,000 fans to ensure recertification. It’s a shame, because Spartan Stadium is a nice place to watch football, even one between two middling G5 teams.
Another one-off
Where were you on December 23, 2020? Probably not watching the Montgomery Bowl. Less than 3,000 people filled the Cramton Bowl for a showdown between Memphis and Florida Atlantic. This was a one-time only event to replace the Fenway Bowl which was postponed because of COVID-19 restrictions. And it will now have company with the 42nd this year as special one-off attractions.
