College football’s postseason is facing a hard truth right now - the bowl system, once a celebrated reward for a solid season, is rapidly losing its place in the sport’s evolving landscape. And while it’s not officially gone, it’s clear we’re watching the slow fade of a tradition that dates back over a century.
Let’s start with the most telling sign: at least 10 programs turned down bowl invitations this month. That’s not a typo.
Ten teams - some with proud traditions, others simply grateful for any postseason opportunity in years past - said, “Thanks, but no thanks.” That alone tells you something’s shifted in a major way.
Notre Dame made headlines by turning down a spot in the Pop-Tarts Bowl - yes, that Pop-Tarts Bowl - despite a $3 million payout and, presumably, all the toaster pastries they could stomach. But it wasn’t just the Irish.
Programs like Central Florida, Kansas, and Temple also declined invites. When schools that typically jump at a bowl appearance are saying no, it’s not just about prestige - it’s about priorities.
And the list doesn’t stop there. Auburn, Florida State, Baylor, Rutgers, Kansas State, and Iowa State also opted out.
That’s a wide range of programs from different conferences, different traditions, and different places in their respective rebuilds or reloads. The common thread?
A growing sense that if it’s not the College Football Playoff, it’s not worth it.
One bowl executive put it bluntly: “The bowl system we know now is officially dead. RIP.
It was a nice run while it lasted.” That run started in 1902 with the original Rose Bowl.
Over 120 years later, we’re seeing the effects of a sport that’s changed faster than its postseason structure could keep up with.
There’s no single reason for the decline - it’s a combination of factors that have all hit at once. NIL, the transfer portal, coaching turnover, player opt-outs, and the expanded playoff have all chipped away at the relevance of non-playoff bowls. Add in the sheer number of games - 35 bowl matchups plus 11 playoff contests - and it’s no wonder the system feels oversaturated.
Even money isn’t enough to keep teams interested. Notre Dame walked away from $3 million.
Kansas State and Iowa State were each fined $500,000 by the Big 12 for declining bowl invitations, but that didn’t change their decisions. For many programs, the focus has shifted to roster management, recruiting, and getting a jump on next season - and bowls just don’t factor into that equation the way they used to.
Take Iowa State, for example. The Cyclones cited a coaching change and player fatigue as reasons for opting out.
In other words, they’re embracing a little “load management” - something that’s become commonplace in the NBA but feels foreign in college football. Kansas State gave a similar explanation.
Other 5-7 teams - like Florida State, Auburn, UCF, Baylor, Rutgers, Kansas, and Temple - also passed on bowl opportunities, choosing instead to focus on the transfer portal and offseason planning. It’s a reversal of the traditional mindset.
Bowls used to be the reward at the end of a long grind. Now, they’re seen as a distraction from what really matters: building for next year.
And when 5-7 teams are being invited in the first place, it’s clear the bowl system is stretching just to stay afloat. Ten teams with losing records received invites, and only three accepted.
The Birmingham Bowl, for instance, had to scramble for more than a week to find someone to play Georgia Southern. After multiple rejections, they landed on Appalachian State - another 5-7 team.
It’s not all doom and gloom, though. For some programs, the bowl game still means something.
Georgia Southern quarterback JC French summed it up perfectly: “The opportunity to play in the postseason is special.” And for players like him - guys who might not be playing on Sundays or in the CFP spotlight - that extra game still holds value.
But the reality is this: the playoff has changed everything. With 12 teams now making the cut, the stakes have never been higher at the top - and never lower everywhere else. For many schools, if they’re not in the playoff conversation, they’d rather hit the portal, hire new staff, and start the next chapter early.
So yes, the bowl system is still technically alive. But it’s not the thriving, celebratory tradition it once was.
It’s limping along, kept on life support by TV contracts and nostalgia. And unless something changes dramatically, we’re watching the final chapters of a once-proud postseason era unfold - one opt-out at a time.