BYU football: Cougars have numerous bowl possibilities for 2017
By Ron Jensen
BYU football doesn’t have a contract for a bowl game in 2017. That means there are a ton of bowl possibilities for the Cougars.
BYU’s Athletic Director, Tom Holmoe, decided to take the free-agent path to a bowl game this season. So, unlike in previous years, BYU football isn’t tied down to one bowl affiliation.
Although, some feel a little nervous about this, it has made things a lot more interesting.
I know it’s a little early to figure out bowl destinations, but for the last six seasons we’ve been spoiled. Cougar fans have known where they’d end up before the season even started.
I’ve decided, let’s just do it right now.
I took some liberty on guessing conference seedings because the order in which they will select is unknown in some cases. From what I have gathered, here are six possible scenarios:
Most Likely Scenario:
Frisco Bowl
Location: Frisco, Texas
Payout: $100,000
Matchup: AAC No. 4 vs. At large
T.V. coverage: ESPN, 12/20 (Wednesday), 8pm eastern.
ESPN has promised BYU a bowl game if they are eligible. A few months ago, there was not a home to be found. Then, the Frisco Bowl, formerly the Miami Beach Bowl, came along with that “at-large” opening.
How convenient.
A 7-5 record or better gets the invite here. This is a good time slot, being a pre-Christmas bowl on the “World Wide Leader” during prime time. The location is nice and fairly warm during the winter months.
The payout is low, and the opponent is not very attractive, but remember, BYU football played Wyoming last year. Other than the money, this seems almost a repeat of the 2016 bowl situation.