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C-USA BOWL Selection Process and why the Boca Raton Bowl

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I looked over all the finalized bowl game schedules and it seems like C-USA sent 9 out of 10 possible bowl teams that were bowl eligible.  UTSA got the shaft even though they defeated a Power 5 team like Baylor.  I read online that they also have great attendance and average about 22,000 fans a game.  I noticed that C-USA sent Marshall to the New Mexico Bowl which doesn't make sense even if Marshall fans travel, it would've made more sense to have UTSA  go to that game or LA Tech.   Overall we do have a better chance at getting into a bowl game in this conference as opposed to the Sun-Belt, but the realization is we can possibly get snubbed  or win the conference and go to a lower game tie-in anyways.  We need to get to the American asap, that is a conference that is making moves sending group of 5 teams to the New Years Six, getting ranked and beating Power 5 teams.  We need to get there if we are serious about getting more coverage and recognition. The next questions that are on everyones minds  is who made the decision for us to stay in Boca….. whose is to blame… CHUN, C-USA, KIFFIN, OR PK.  Does anyone have any information on what the process is to select a bowl game in C-USA, who makes the decisions, and what is the point of being a conference champion? 
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Coach had a lot to say about this, read here:

Coach Kiffin on Boca Bowl for The Owls - FAU Owl's Nest

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I think it comes down to money…..why travel when you'll get paid by the OBC just the same…..incidentally, Akron is no joke, they are a top MAC team……other schools won't say it, but teams like FSU, USF, Duke, etc didn't want to get run over by the Lane Train….we got what we could out of this year….this is a great start to the build, but it's a slow build…..we need to do this again next year, hopefully better, and move into a better bowl……then down the line, look to take advantage of the impending college landscape shift on the horizon…..right now, the concentration should be in attendance and recruiting….the rest will follow

"What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight - it's the size of the fight in the dog."
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
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I don't really understand some of the coach's comments because, based on the CUSA website, the Champ gets to select which bowl they want that is affiliated with the conference.  Maybe they still need to be invited to that bowl, it's difficult to say.  In any case, I'm now ready and can't wait to go to the game!
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Owlguin said

…based on the CUSA website, the Champ gets to select which bowl they want that is affiliated with the conference.
Posted On: Dec 4th 2017, 12:51 PM #374892

That was deemed incorrect by Kiffin multiple times during our call, they don't get a say in it.

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I think we get to "voice" what we want but they don't have to (or the power to!) place the conference winner where they want - if true, very STUPID!
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Apparently the invitation/acceptance/selection process is more complicated than we assumed. I think that if we put together some good seasons and get a number in front of our name bigger bowls will start calling. We see our conference and team much differently than the rest of the country. Our perception will change this is still a really young program, there is no reason we can’t get to where UCF and USF are within the next decade. 
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OwlPT15 said

Apparently the invitation/acceptance/selection process is more complicated than we assumed. I think that if we put together some good seasons and get a number in front of our name bigger bowls will start calling. We see our conference and team much differently than the rest of the country. Our perception will change this is still a really young program, there is no reason we can’t get to where UCF and USF are within the next decade. 
Posted On: Dec 4th 2017, 1:28 PM #374895

Very true - the same as why we are not ranked, anti CUSA bias. CUSA is too weak! All I know is CUSA has NINE bowl teams - 2nd most of all Conferences!!!!
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It really makes no sense for a lot of reasons, but it is what it is…

Southern Miss vs FSU with ZERO story line.

Lane Kiffin & The Owls vs FSU with weeks of story lines.

There is no way you can convince me that 10,000 extra people there would not come out to see the game given the implications of what Coach has done with this program during year one and the possibility of putting the cherry on top by "upsetting" FSU.

It could have potentially dominated the news - period.

No one cares to watch them beat Southern Miss.

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CUSA has basically outlined that they make decisions more based on costs incurred by the school and likelihood of putting fans in the venues.  They feel like FAU playing in our home stadium gives us the lowest cost option (duh) and we stand to put lots more butts in the seats than say having North Texas come here versus playing in a bowl closer to them.  I saw a linked article somebody had pointed out that showed the actual pay breakdown, and basically the school participating gets something like the first $100k, then after expenses are accounted for, whatever is left is split-up by the rest of the conference.  So in each game they are trying to minimize expenses and maximize what will still amount to a relatively small payout to the conference schools.  And FAU wouldn't have gotten much more from any of the bowls.

The Independence Bowl is different in that it has a significantly higher payout.  But for the financial good of the conference members CUSA will put a team there that incurs less cost rather than put the most deserving team or the program that might stand the best chance to win that game.  This is ALL about money - everything in college athletics is now.

As champs, if we have any sway at all it still would have been only with the tie-ins.  Given those games, if we aren't going to Dallas our voiced preference was most likely for St. Pete or Boca because the AAC should give you a good match-up (if UCF wasn't in the New Year's 6 game the Boca or St. Pete game would have probably gotten either Memphis or USF).  Then the conference office takes over from there.  I guess a bowl could get real specific and force the conference's hand, but just look at who is going where and it makes sense this is all a big financial decision process.
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