SAN ANTONIO – The Valero Alamo Bowl has for years stood out in a crowded field, positioning itself as one of the better-performing postseason games, especially among its peers outside of the College Football Playoff or New Year’s Six bowl lineup.
But another round of conference realignment and an expanded CFP could create new challenges for local organizers at a time when so much about the future of college football is up in the air.
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With 30 years under its belt, the Alamo Bowl has stability. Organizers have locked in title sponsor, network television and conference affiliation agreements that run through 2025.
However, one of those conference ties is to the Big 12, which is losing Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC. The other is with the Pac-12, which is bracing for the departure of UCLA and USC.
Add in a playoff system that will grow from four teams to 12 beginning in 2024 and there is plenty of uncertainty that could impact San Antonio’s bowl game.
“There is definitely movement afoot in the system. Our job now is to keep track of what’s going on,” Valero Alamo Bowl President and CEO Derrick Fox said.
Expanding the playoffs will impact what teams are left for bowls outside of the CFP. Fox said Alamo Bowl officials have made it clear they want to be part of the playoff mix.
San Antonio officials also believe there need to be some wider conversations within the NCAA ranks regarding what the larger postseason will look like and what that means for the bowl industry moving forward.
“There’s been a lot of time spent on the CFP. I think there needs to be an equal amount of time spent on the postseason in total and what that looks like,” Fox said. “That’s the next step.”
The Dec. 29 Alamo Bowl featuring Washington and Texas drew more than 62,700 fans to the Alamodome and was ESPN’s highest-rated bowl broadcast this season outside of the New Year’s Six games, with nearly 5 million viewers tuning in.
Read the full story on the San Antonio Business Journal.
Editor’s note: This story was published through a partnership between KSAT and the San Antonio Business Journal.