Bowl Season Blues: How Opt-Outs and Transfer Moves Are Shaping a New Era in College Football
College football has always held a unique place in the American sports landscape - a blend of tradition, pageantry, and raw passion that’s often positioned as a purer alternative to the NFL. For decades, fans clung to the idea that college athletes “played for the love of the game,” unburdened by the business side of sports. But in today’s landscape, that romanticized version of college football is fading fast.
The introduction of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) rights and the ever-expanding transfer portal have fundamentally reshaped the sport. And nowhere is that shift more visible than in the growing trend of players - and now entire programs - opting out of bowl games.
From One-Offs to a Widespread Movement
When Christian McCaffrey and Leonard Fournette chose to sit out their respective bowl games in 2016 and 2017 to prepare for the NFL Draft, it was headline-worthy. At the time, these decisions were isolated - bold, but understandable moves by top-tier talent with millions on the line.
Fast forward to today, and opting out is no longer the exception. It’s becoming the norm.
In 2024 alone, over 100 players chose to skip their bowl games, according to the New York Post. Some were prepping for the draft.
Others were eyeing new opportunities via the transfer portal. But the result is the same: bowl games are losing their star power and, in many cases, their meaning.
This trend has gone from a few individual players protecting their futures to a systemic issue that’s starting to impact entire rosters - and even the viability of bowl games themselves.
The Marshall Case: A Team-Wide Exodus
Marshall University offers one of the most dramatic examples of how fast things can unravel.
In 2024, the Thundering Herd were hit hard when head coach Charles Huff left for the Southern Miss job. That move triggered a mass exodus.
So many players entered the transfer portal that Marshall couldn’t field a team for its bowl game. It was a rare but somewhat understandable scenario - a coaching change that gutted a roster beyond repair.
But in 2025, history repeated itself in a way that’s even more concerning. After winning the Sun Belt Championship, Marshall once again had to back out of a bowl - this time the Independence Bowl against Army - because of a substantial number of players entering the portal.
This wasn’t about a coach leaving or a team falling apart. This was a championship-winning squad that simply couldn’t keep its roster intact long enough to finish the season.
Notre Dame’s Opt-Out Sends Shockwaves
Then there’s Notre Dame - a program that rarely flies under the radar and certainly didn’t this time.
After being left out of the College Football Playoff, the Irish announced they would not participate in a bowl game at all. The timing of the decision, coming after the playoff bracket was set, raised eyebrows across the country. The official statement framed the move as a team decision, with players choosing to focus on chasing a 12th national title in 2026.
But for many observers, it felt like a protest - a “put us in or we’re out” message that didn’t sit well. Analyst Emmanuel Acho didn’t mince words, calling the move “absolutely unacceptable” and expressing sympathy for the fans who wouldn’t get to see their team suit up one last time.
Whether you agree with Notre Dame’s stance or not, it’s a clear signal of how bowl games are being devalued - even by the sport’s biggest brands.
A Growing List of Opt-Outs
Notre Dame may have grabbed the headlines, but they’re far from alone.
According to reports from Yahoo Sports and On3, ten programs have opted out of bowl games this season. That list includes Kansas State, Iowa State, Baylor, Rutgers, Florida State, Auburn, Temple, UCF, and Kansas.
Some of these decisions are tied to coaching changes. Iowa State’s Matt Campbell is heading to Penn State, while Kansas State’s Chris Klieman has opted to retire. In those cases, the chaos that comes with leadership turnover makes some level of disruption inevitable.
But the more troubling trend is programs that didn’t even qualify for a bowl - yet still declined invitations when offered. The Birmingham Bowl became a case study in how messy this has become. The NCAA had enough six-win teams to fill the bowl slate, but when opt-outs started rolling in, they had to dip into the pool of 5-7 teams.
You’d think those teams would jump at the chance to extend their seasons. Instead, Florida State, Auburn, UCF, Baylor, Rutgers, Temple, and Kansas all reportedly turned down the opportunity. Eventually, Appalachian State said yes, salvaging the game - but not before the optics turned ugly.
The Real Culprit? A Broken Calendar
At the heart of all this chaos is a scheduling problem.
The transfer portal opens in early January. The early signing period for high school recruits hits in December.
Bowl games, of course, fall right in the middle. That overlap creates a perfect storm: players are making major career decisions while coaches are juggling roster management, recruiting, and bowl prep - all at once.
It’s a logistical nightmare. And it’s pushing more and more players to prioritize their futures over one last game with their current team.
If the NCAA wants to preserve the integrity of bowl season - or at least stop the bleeding - it might be time to rethink the calendar. Move the early signing period.
Adjust the portal window. Give coaches and players the space to finish a season before they start building the next one.
The Big Picture
What we’re seeing isn’t just a series of isolated decisions. It’s a fundamental shift in how college football operates.
Players now have more power than ever - and they’re using it. Coaches are moving faster.
Programs are making business decisions. And bowl games, once the crown jewel of the postseason, are becoming optional.
This doesn’t mean college football is broken. But it does mean the sport is evolving - fast. The challenge now is finding a way to honor the traditions that make college football special while adapting to a new era where mobility, money, and long-term planning are part of the game.
Because if the bowl season continues to lose its luster, the ripple effects could be felt far beyond December.