TAMPA, Florida -- It was a triple overtime thriller as Michigan State defeated Georgia in the 26th annual Outback Bowl. But despite the excitement of the game, there are some that are saying the bowl format is antiquated and needs to be replaced with a college playoff, something like college basketball, which leads to the final four.
However, if there was a bowl college playoff format, all the fans, fun, and tourist dollars spent at events like the Outback Bowl would go away. Outback President and CEO Jim McVay says if there was a playoff format, the games would be on the college campuses and the economic impact of a game like the Outback Bowl would disappear.
McVay adds he believes the college presidents will realize bowl games are popular with the fans and better for college football players rather than an extended playoff schedule. And while some are conducting hearings in Congress to force a playoff system, the bowl games have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to lobby elected officials to stay out of the sport.
Meanwhile, there are some raised questions about Outback and the bowl following last month's decision by the company to give up the title sponsorship of the popular pro-am golf tournament it has put on for several years.
Outback co-founder Bob Basham says he doesn't think the chain will walk away from the bowl games. Basham says the association, which has been a success for 17 years, is good for the restaurant chain. And that is good news for the Bowl and McVay, who makes almost $700,000 a year to run the game.
McVay says he hopes the partnership will continue for years. Currently, Outback is committed to the game through 2014.
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