Deep down in the minutiae of the NCAA's rule process, the Division I Council on Wednesday clarified the selection process for taking 5-7 teams in bowl games.
The NCAA last year approved 5-7 teams for bowls to fill in where the ever-expanding bowl schedule -- 41 games and counting -- could not find eligible 6-6 teams. Five-win teams became eligible in order of their APR rate, where higher-rated teams received slots ahead of lower-rated ones. Nebraska, Minnesota and San Jose State earned the privilege of becoming 5-7 bowl teams last season, and each took its turn shoving it in haters' faces by winning their respective bowls.
Five-win teams will still be permitted to play in bowls, but on Wednesday the NCAA clarified 6-6 teams must be taken ahead of 5-7 teams in the selection process.
In short, the Foster Farms Bowl, for example, would be required to take a 6-6 Indiana team over a 5-7 Nebraska team moving forward, even if the bowl would rather have the Huskers.
“It’s impossible to project how many eligible bowl teams we will have,” said Bob Bowlsby, chair of the football oversight committee and commissioner of the Big 12 Conference, in a statement. “We think we have a selection process in the postseason that makes sense and is fair to the schools and the bowls.”
Earlier this year the NCAA put a cap on new bowls until 2020 at the earliest.