Automatic Bids To College Bowl Games - Order of Selection

Order of Selection

Teams must be bowl-eligible to be selected for a bowl game. Should a conference not have enough eligible teams to meet their obligations, the bowls at the end of the selection process are free to choose a replacement team from among any remaining bowl-eligible teams that are not already committed to a bowl game. Prior to the 2010–11 bowl season Bowls were required to select from teams with winning records when choosing a replacement team, unless there are no such teams left, in which case they could choose a 6–6 team. This rule was removed starting with the 2010-2011 bowl season. Should fewer than 70 teams be bowl-eligible, all bowl-eligible teams must be placed in bowls before non-eligible teams may be selected.

If a conference provides an "at-large" selection to the BCS, the remaining bowls still select in the same order. Should a conference like the Big 12 receive an "at-large" bid from the BCS, their remaining bowl tie-ins would be affected. The Cotton Bowl Classic would then have the third (and not second) selection from the Big 12, and all remaining bowls would be shifted accordingly. This increases the likelihood that the conference will not be able to provide enough teams to meet its tie-in obligations.