Does potential (drawing power) media viewership play a role in naming bowl contenders?

USC and OSU, for instance, will attract more viewers and ramp up advertising revenues than Georgia or Hawaii or West Virginia. This is always considered by saavy bottomline producers. For instance, Notre Dame was once the biggest draw, no matter what. That is not the same anymore.

Does potential (drawing power) media viewership play a role in naming bowl contenders?
it shouldn't but it is rumored that the potential ratings are factored in. Only 2 times have we gotten the game with the 2 best teams in college football and those 2 teams happened to be national favorites, the USC-Texas game (with all its star power) and Miami-OSU (with OSU as an underdog with a 13-0 record).





But people are complaing that Illinois doesn't deserve its bowl bid (despite the Rose Bowl sticking with tradition and taking the Pac-10 and Big Ten teams) and that it should have gone to either Mizzou or Florida even. Mizzou might not have drawn the right crowd, but Florida? Everybody and their mother wants to see Tebow in Pasadena but it didn't happen, so maybe the ratings have nothing to do with it.





It's unfortunate if ratings garner that much power but if I'm trying to make money (and we kno they are trying to make money), I want the Buckeyes versus another top opponent, I want the Trojans versus another top opponent no matter what their resume is.
Reply:Well, perhaps there might be something in that. But, they would never admit that even if it is true.