Vegas Bowl changes in 2020! (and other Pac-12 bowl changes)

[Flatlandcoug]

According to the interwebs........

The Las Vegas Bowl
In 2020, the Las Vegas Bowl moves from UNLV’s Sam Boyd Stadium to the new Las Vegas NFL stadium. In the course of the six-year deal, the SEC and Big Ten will each make three appearances against the Pac-12 in the Las Vegas Bowl. It’s expected to be either the third or fourth Pac-12 team after the Rose and Alamo Bowls are filled. It’s unknown what selection the SEC and Big Ten would send from their respective conference.

This will mark the first Pac-12 and SEC non-playoff bowl matchup since the 1989 Freedom Bowl. The Pac-12 currently plays bowl games against each of the Power 5 conferences except for the SEC. The two conferences have played in only nine non-College Football Playoff/New Year’s 6 bowls.

The new Los Angeles Bowl at Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park
The new LA bowl will feature the Pac-12 against the Mountain West. This is basically the old Las Vegas Bowl matchup with the bowl getting the first selection from the Mountain West against a Pac-12 team. The Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park opens in 2020 and will also host the 2023 College Football Playoff title game. This bowl is huge for the Mountain West, especially after its 19-year tie-in with the Las Vegas Bowl ends after this season.

The Holiday Bowl
With the Big Ten playing in Las Vegas and Belk, the Big Ten will not be affiliated with the Holiday Bowl after 2019 and will be replaced by the ACC. The San Diego-based bowl will feature the Pac-12 against the ACC from 2020-25.

 

[ScottHood]

Here is what Brett McMurphy, formerly of ESPN and CBS Sports, tweeted a little while ago:

 

[random soul]

I actually like this. Breaks us out of our Big 10/Big 12/Mountain West box

 

[CougPatrol]

This is great news. Picking up the SEC and ACC breathes some much needed fresh air into the bowl season.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

The thing that's exciting about getting the SEC involved is that we will likely get the Pac-12 #3 team vs the SEC #5, meaning that it's probably a winnable game. This year, it would have been Utah against #16 Kentucky (10-2). Last year would have been #24 Mississippi State (8-4). The arrogance of the SEC should put us in the position to win more than we lose.

 

[Ffffws]

this should help Pac12 national recruiting too. SEC-country watching Pac12 teams in the beautiful weather should help.

 

[Cougatron]

I actually like this. Breaks us out of our Big 10/Big 12/Mountain West box

I agree. I think this is fantastic because now we have a Mountain West (LA Bowl) / Big XII (Alamo)/ ACC (Holiday/Sun) / SEC (Vegas) / B1G (Rose/Vegas) matchups and will go a long way to help build the national recognition of the conference.

This is fantastic.

 

[Observer11]

Pac 12 teams better get better fast if they think they can muscle with the SEC professionals.

 

[dgibbons]

Pac 12 teams better get better fast if they think they can muscle with the SEC professionals.

The SEC was 6-5 in the postseason. Outside of Alabama, and maybe Georgia on their best day, the mighty SEC isn’t so mighty.

 

[cr8zyncalif]

Good news. Period. No obvious downside at all.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Pac 12 teams better get better fast if they think they can muscle with the SEC professionals.

I read on an SEC oriented site that they think they should send their #6 or #7 team out to Vegas. Not really worried about taking on the middle of the SEC.

 

[95coug]

The thing that's exciting about getting the SEC involved is that we will likely get the Pac-12 #3 team vs the SEC #5, meaning that it's probably a winnable game. This year, it would have been Utah against #16 Kentucky (10-2). Last year would have been #24 Mississippi State (8-4). The arrogance of the SEC should put us in the position to win more than we lose.

I think this year, Kentucky would have blown out Utah. But the change puts an ACC team in the Holiday, not SEC. I think this year it would have been NC State/Georgia Tech/Virginia against Utah in the Holiday. The SEC pick would be tricky, since they had 4 teams in NY6/playoff games. A&M would make some sense geographically, I don't think they send their better teams to play the Pac-12. I suspect Vegas would get MIssissippi State or Mizzou.

I wonder how attendance will look. The Holiday is a long trip for ACC fans, and I don't expect they're going to send one of their top tier teams there. I'm thinking it's going to be their #6-7 team. Vegas doesn't pose quite the same problems for SEC fans, other than it's not the direction they're used to traveling. But I'd guess it'll be the same sort of #5-7 team that gets sent here.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

I think this year, Kentucky would have blown out Utah. But the change puts an ACC team in the Holiday, not SEC. I think this year it would have been NC State/Georgia Tech/Virginia against Utah in the Holiday. The SEC pick would be tricky, since they had 4 teams in NY6/playoff games. A&M would make some sense geographically, I don't think they send their better teams to play the Pac-12. I suspect Vegas would get MIssissippi State or Mizzou.

I wonder how attendance will look. The Holiday is a long trip for ACC fans, and I don't expect they're going to send one of their top tier teams there. I'm thinking it's going to be their #6-7 team. Vegas doesn't pose quite the same problems for SEC fans, other than it's not the direction they're used to traveling. But I'd guess it'll be the same sort of #5-7 team that gets sent here.

I didn't do a good job of making my post clear. I'm assuming that the Vegas Bowl would be our #3 bowl (instead of the Holiday Bowl). That's why I referenced Utah vs. Kentucky.

 

[702coug]

Good news for Pac-12, great news for 702coug.

 

[Observer11]

The SEC was 6-5 in the postseason. Outside of Alabama, and maybe Georgia on their best day, the mighty SEC isn’t so mighty.

At least the SEC had a winning record in the most recent bowl season.

The Pac 12's 3 wins were by a total of 4 points.

 

[95coug]

At least the SEC had a winning record in the most recent bowl season.

The Pac 12's 3 wins were by a total of 4 points.

Actually the SEC was 6-6, after Alabama got blown out in the NC game.

All 5 major conferences finished within 1 game of .500, so I don’t really think the PAC-12’s 3-4 record is that bad (ACC was 6-5, Big 10 5-4, Big 12 4-3).

 

[Observer11]

Actually the SEC was 6-6, after Alabama got blown out in the NC game.

All 5 major conferences finished within 1 game of .500, so I don’t really think the PAC-12’s 3-4 record is that bad (ACC was 6-5, Big 10 5-4, Big 12 4-3).

I didn't check dgibbons math because he holds himself out as infallible when it comes to bean-counting.

Plus why would someone lie?

 

[95coug]

I didn't check dgibbons math because he holds himself out as infallible when it comes to bean-counting.

Plus why would someone lie?

Just to avoid reducing this thread to another name-calling pissing contest...I’m not calling anyone a liar.
I may have even found the article dgibbons got his stats from. But, somewhere deep in the minutiae, it mentioned that “Alabama is still playing”. It was written a couple days before the title game, so I happily added a loss to the SEC record.