The Postseason is Fragmenting and Bowls are Caught in the Middle

College football’s postseason is no longer a single ecosystem. It’s becoming a stack of overlapping (and sometimes competing) business models, and bowl organizations are at the intersection of all of them. 

What once functioned as a relatively stable, linear postseason is now under simultaneous pressure from College Football Playoff (CFP) expansion, “labor market” disruption and more. None of these forces alone is fatal to bowls. Together, though, they fundamentally alter the risk profile of the bowl system. 

The challenge for bowls is staying relevant in a postseason that no longer centers on them.  

Pressure #1: CFP Expansion Shrinks the Middle Class of Bowl Teams 

Under the current CFP structure, teams on the playoff bubble face a rational choice: Protect playoff viability or accept a bowl invitation that introduces injury, distraction and other downside risk. Even before expansion, this has led to late bowl opt-outs, reduced enthusiasm from playoff-adjacent teams and declining fan travel when postseason stakes feel unclear.  

With CFP expansion, more teams are pulled upward into the playoff orbit. Fewer teams remain in the “traditional bowl lane,” and bowls increasingly draw from teams dealing with their own pressures. The result is diluted competitive meaning, especially for bowls that historically relied on ranked or near-ranked matchups.  

Pressure #2: The Coaching Carousel and Transfer Portal Have Created In-Season Free Agency 

College football now operates under a reality that bowls were never designed for. Coaches are hired, fired and announced during the season. Players enter the transfer portal before postseason play. NIL negotiations occur in parallel with team preparation.  

For bowls, this creates operational and reputational risk. Teams arrive with interim staff. Star players opt out en masse. Rosters are materially different from what fans expected all season. It’s a structural labor-market problem, but bowls absorb the downstream effects of lower quality on-field product, fan disappointment, sponsor frustration and media partners questioning value. In other words, they’re being judged on outcomes they no longer control. 

Pressure #3: The Postseason is Drifting Away from Community-Centered Models 

Historically bowls succeeded because they aligned competitive football, community economic impact and destination-based sponsorship.  The CFP — and potentially private equity as it continues to seep into the industry — prioritizes something else:  

• Centralized revenue maximization 

• Fewer, higher-stakes inventory points 

• National media value over local economic impact 

If schools or conferences bring in private equity, postseason decisions may be driven by return on invested capital. Non-playoff bowls may be evaluated as cost centers, not partners, and community impact becomes a secondary consideration. This doesn’t necessarily mean bowls disappear, but it could mean the rules of engagement change. 

Why Waiting is the Biggest Risk Bowls Face 

The greatest threat to bowls is not CFP expansion, NIL or private equity. It’s inertia.  

Bowls that continue to define themselves as an organization that hosts one football game per year are exposed to forces they can’t control. Bowls that redefine themselves as economic impact platforms, sports tourism operators and year-round community assets can influence outcomes even as the postseason evolves. 

How Bowls Can Strategize Now to Mitigate Risk and Stay Relevant 

All is not lost for these bowls; in fact, opportunities exist for them to thrive.  

Decouple Relevance from Playoff Proximity 

Bowls should stop competing with the CFP on football hierarchy and instead compete on experience, destination and impact.  

Action Steps: 

• Invest in multi-day festival-style programming. 

• Make bowl week about more than the game. 

• Design experiences that remain compelling regardless of roster turnover. 

Become Indispensable to Cities, Not Just Conferences 

While conferences reshuffle, cities don’t. If postseason power consolidates upward, bowls need downward insulation. 

Action Steps: 

• Formalize partnerships with tourism boards and economic development agencies. 

• Publish annual economic and community impact reports. 

• Position the bowl as infrastructure, not entertainment.  

Redesign Sponsorships Around Year-Round Value 

Single-game sponsorship is fragile in a volatile postseason. 

Action Steps: 

• Shift to 12-month sponsorship models. 

• Tie sponsors to a series of marketing or community programs. 

• Offer measurable ROI beyond TV impressions. 

Embrace Player Mobility Instead of Fighting It 

Whether we like it or not, the transfer portal and NIL are not going away.  

Action Steps: 

• Build NIL-friendly activations that don’t depend on full rosters. 

• Partner with collectives or third-party platforms. 

• Focus on team-wide or cause-based NIL storytelling. 

Bowls that are seen as player hostile will be bypassed. Bowls that are player aware will be embraced. 

Prepare for Capital-Driven Postseason Decisions 

If private equity enters the ecosystem, bowls must speak the language of capital. 

Action Steps: 

• Modernize governance and financial reporting. 

• Clarify mission, margins and risk exposure. 

• Demonstrate scalability beyond a single game. 

Scenario Plan for a World with Fewer Bowls 

Strategic relevance requires confronting uncomfortable futures. The goal is not pessimism here; it’s having options. 

Action Steps: 

• Model scenarios with reduced bowl slots. 

• Develop non-football event portfolios. 

• Consider rebranding as sports tourism or destination events organizations. 

Case Study: Florida Citrus Sports Building Relevance Beyond Bowls 

Florida Citrus Sports (FCS) offers a compelling example of how a bowl organization can adapt without abandoning its roots. Based in Orlando, FCS operates the Pop-Tarts Bowl and Cheez-It Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium. Its strategy also makes one thing clear: FCS is no longer positioning itself as a group that “hosts two bowl games” but as a year-round sports tourism and event operating platform. 

Turning a Bowl into a Cultural Brand 

The Pop-Tarts Bowl has become one of the most talked about postseason games in college football, not because of its rankings or playoff implications, but because of intentional brand design. What started as a quirky sponsorship evolved into a national phenomenon with edible mascots, a functioning toaster trophy and moments engineered for social media and earned press. Rather than putting its entire focus on CFP significance, FCS has leaned into fan experience and cultural relevance, turning the bowl into a must-watch event regardless of matchup.  

And it doesn’t stop there. One of the most telling strategic moves came from what could be considered a happy accident. When the two most recent Pop-Tarts Bowl champions were scheduled to meet in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Ireland, FCS seized the moment.  

Instead of treating the kickoff game as unrelated inventory, FCS extended the Pop-Tarts storyline internationally by integrating brand elements and mascots into the Ireland game. The result was a seamless narrative bridge from bowl season into Week Zero. This move reframed the role of bowls in the calendar. FCS demonstrated bowl brands can live earlier in the season, attaching themselves to high-value neutral site games that schools and media partners increasingly prioritize. 

Diversifying Revenue Through International Sports 

One of the most striking aspects of FCS’s evolution has been its successful pivot into international sports, particularly global soccer. They’ve leaned into the growing demand for international soccer in the U.S. by partnering on marquee global events that span multiple markets.  

In Orlando alone, this includes hosting several matches of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (including world-class clubs such as Juventus and Manchester City) at Camping World Stadium as part of the tournament’s U.S. debut. Orlando was one of only a few U.S. cities selected to host those games, reinforcing its profile as a global sports destination and generating significant tourism activity. 

But FCS’s involvement isn’t limited to Orlando-centric events. The organization has brought international club soccer to broader audiences via touring exhibitions and friendly matches, including sold-out games featuring European powerhouses as part of its FC Series. These matches have been staged at venues around the country, including Yankee Stadium and on campus at The Ohio State University.  

By integrating international sport into its portfolio and generating business that stretches beyond a single city or seasonal bowl game, FCS is reshaping its revenue model. This approach offers a compelling blueprint for other bowl organizations trying to stay financially viable and culturally relevant in a rapidly changing college sports ecosystem.  

The Bottom Line 

The postseason isn’t disappearing. It’s reorganizing. Bowls that wait for clarity will be overtaken by it. Bowls that act now — expanding their purpose, modernizing their operations and anchoring themselves to value — can remain essential even as college football’s power structure shifts.  

As CPAs and consultants who work not only in collegiate athletics but also with bowl organizations, we see firsthand how these industry pressures intersect with governance, financial sustainability, compliance and long-term risk management. Bowl organizations don’t need advisors to create the vision; that innovation belongs to leaders like those at Florida Citrus Sports. What they often do need is a partner who can bridge strategy and financial reporting while helping boards navigate the risks associated with maintaining agility and financial sustainability. 

Our Collegiate Athletics Services team works alongside bowl organizations, universities, conferences and related entities to help them work through this changing postseason world so they can focus on executing bold strategies of their own.