Putting aside Covid for a moment, it is obvious to all that bowl games have lost their luster. I would argue that the 2 factors most responsible for this are 1) the playoffs which are really what most impartial viewers watch and 2) NFL prospects for which kids don’t want to get hurt. So I was considering what incentive bowls could create for players, and the answer is so obvious.
Pay kids for the NIL if the play in the bowl game. You will still have some kids opt who expect to be 1st round picks, but the vast majority will play for some reasonable scratch. So instead of gift bags of stuff most players already have, pay them $$$.
