Forget about the BCS. Forget about a future playoff system. It's time to look at what the college post-season is all about.
It's all about giving.
It's bailout time for college football teams, and bowl officials are more than happy to perform the role of Congress in doling out the goodies. In fact, for all but one of the BCS Bowls, there will be a private Sony store for the teams.
For 22 teams this bowl season, they will have their own personal Sony Store when they arrive on site.
Sony is arranging for a suite at the hotel for the participants in 11 bowls. When they arrive, members of the team's traveling party will be invited in and given a folder with their team logo, and a $300 credit line. Players can check off from the list what items they would like -- up to the $300 limit, and the items will be delivered to the address of their choice.
The one BCS Bowl not on the Sony gift list? The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
But don't worry, the traveling parties from Texas and Ohio State will not leave empty handed.
Fiesta Bowl participants will receive Myvue personal viewers as part of their gift bag.
Along with the Myvue, the Buckeyes and Longhorns will also get an Apple IPod and a Kenneth Cole Watch.
The NCAA allows each bowl to give up to $500 worth of stuff to 125 participants per school. Rest assured that the Texas traveling party to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will number more than 125, and rest assured that the athletics department will pick up the tab for the overrun.
Among the other neat stuff being given out by bowls:
* The Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl is handing out a Wii System bundle, along with Oakley sunglasses.
* The Champ Sports Bowl is handing out a $400 spending spree at Best Buy
* The Valero Alamo Bowl will be giving out Sony PS3 systems with games
* The Pacific Life Holiday Bowl has Insignia LCD 19-inch HDTV/DVD's to pass out
Watches, rings, gift cards and clothing are all popular as well, But the Rose Bowl may have topped them all. The folks from USC and Penn State will not only get a Sony camcorder, a Fossil Watch, Oakley sunglasses, and an Ogio back pack, but they also get a year's free subscription to ESPN The Magazine.
Yippee.