The Bowl System Is In Decline

2010-2011:

• 11 capacity crowds
• 1,822,387 announced attendance for 35 games
• 85.04% of total seating capacity
• http://helmetstickers.blogspot.com/2011/01/2010-2011-bowl-attendance-figures.html

2011-2012:

• 7 capacity crowds
• 1,765,224 announced attendance for 35 games
• 81.73% of total seating capacity filled
• http://helmetstickers.blogspot.com/2011/12/2011-2012-bowl-attendance-figures.html

2012-2013:

• 5 capacity crowds
• 1,722,833 announced attendance for 35 games
• 79.08% of total seating capacity filled
• http://helmetstickers.blogspot.com/2012/12/2012-2013-bowl-attendance-figures.html

The above shows over the past three bowl seasons, the number of full stadiums has declined and the total number of fans showing up to bowl games has declined.

2012-2013 Bowl Attendance Figures

Date	Bowl	Attendance	Capacity	Percentage	Score
15-Dec-12	Gildan New Mexico Bowl	24,610	39,224	62.74%	Arizona 49, Nevada 48
15-Dec-12	Famous Idaho Potato Bowl	29,243	37,000	79.04%	Utah State 41, Toledo 15
20-Dec-12	San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl	35,442	70,561	50.23%	BYU 23, San Diego State 6
21-Dec-12	Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg	21,759	28,453	76.47%	Central Florida 38, Ball State 17
22-Dec-12	R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl	48,828	73,208	66.70%	UL-Lafayette 43, East Carolina 34
22-Dec-12	Maaco Bowl Las Vegas	33,217	36,800	90.26%	Boise State 28, Washington 26
24-Dec-12	Sheraton Hawaii Bowl	30,024	50,000	60.05%	SMU 43, Fresno State 10
26-Dec-12	Little Caesars Pizza Bowl	23,310	65,000	35.86%	Central Michigan 24, WKU 21
27-Dec-12	Military Bowl	17,835	45,423	39.26%	San Jose State 29, Bowling Green 20
27-Dec-12	Belk Bowl	48,128	73,778	65.23%	Cincinnati 48, Duke 34
27-Dec-12	Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl	55,507	70,561	78.67%	Baylor 49, UCLA 26
28-Dec-12	AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl	41,853	53,000	78.97%	Ohio 45, UL-Monroe 14
28-Dec-12	Russell Athletic Bowl	48,127	65,438	73.55%	Virginia Tech 13, Rutgers 10 (OT)
28-Dec-12	Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl	50,386	71,054	70.91%	Texas Tech 34, Minnesota 31
29-Dec-12	Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl	40,754	45,000	90.56%	Rice 33, Air Force 14
29-Dec-12	New Era Pinstripe Bowl	39,098	52,328	74.72%	Syracuse 38, West Virginia 14
29-Dec-12	Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl	34,172	40,184	85.04%	Arizona State 62, Navy 28
29-Dec-12	Valero Alamo Bowl	65,277	65,000	100.43%	Texas 31, Oregon State 27
29-Dec-12	Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl	44,617	71,706	62.22%	Michigan State 17, TCU 16
31-Dec-12	Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl	55,801	69,143	80.70%	Vanderbilt 38, North Carolina State 24
31-Dec-12	Hyundai Sun Bowl	47,922	51,500	93.05%	Georgia Tech 21, USC 7
31-Dec-12	AutoZone Liberty Bowl	53,687	61,008	88.00%	Tulsa 31, Iowa State 17
31-Dec-12	Chick-fil-A Bowl	68,027	71,228	95.51%	Clemson 25, LSU 24
01-Jan-13	Heart of Dallas Bowl	48,313	92,100	52.46%	Oklahoma State 58, Purdue 14
01-Jan-13	Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl	48,612	77,510	62.72%	Northwestern 34, Mississippi State 20
01-Jan-13	Capital One Bowl	59,712	65,438	91.25%	Georgia 45, Nebraska 31
01-Jan-13	Outback Bowl	54,527	65,908	82.73%	South Carolina 33, Michigan 28
01-Jan-13	Rose Bowl	93,359	91,136	102.44%	Stanford 20, Wisconsin 14
01-Jan-13	Discover Orange Bowl	72,073	75,540	95.41%	Florida State 31, Northern Illinois 10
02-Jan-13	Allstate Sugar Bowl	54,178	73,208	74.01%	Louisville 33, Florida 23
03-Jan-13	Tostitos Fiesta Bowl	70,242	63,400	110.79%	Oregon 35, Kansas State 17
04-Jan-13	AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic	87,025	80,000	108.78%	Texas A&M 41, Oklahoma 13
05-Jan-13	BBVA Compass Bowl	59,135	71,594	82.60%	Mississippi 38, Pittsburgh 17
06-Jan-13	GoDaddy.com Bowl	37,913	40,646	93.28%	Arkansas State 17, Kent State 13
07-Jan-13	BCS National Championship Game	80,120	75,540	106.06%	Alabama 42, Notre Dame 14

These are the official announced attendance numbers reported by the bowls to the media. Keep in mind many bowls report attendance as tickets sold rather than turnstile numbers. Here is a quintessential example: The 2009 Orange Bowl between Virginia Tech and Cincinnati reported attendance as 73,602, yet the turnstiles only reported 57,821 people coming through the gates. Apparently 15,781 tickets were bought and not used.

More:
2012-2013 Bowl Ticket Allotments
2011-2012 Bowl Attendance Figures
2010-2011 Bowl Attendance Figures

2013 Discover BCS National Championship Preview

Date: January 7, 2013 8:00 PM ET
Stadium: Sun Life Stadium, Miami, Florida
Payout: $18,000,000 per team
Played: 2007-present
Former Names: N/A
Broadcasters: Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit
Sideline Reporter: Heather Cox, Tom Rinaldi

Alabama: The Crimson Tide finished the season 2nd in scoring defense (10.7 points per game), 1st in rush defense (79.8 yards per game), and 6th in pass defense (166.2 yards per game). The Tide are offensively superior to the Irish, scoring 38.5 points per game while their opponent averages 26.8 points per game. The Crimson Tide are looking to win their third BCS National Championship in the last four seasons.

Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish are gunning for the school's first national championship since 1988. Notre Dame's defense allowed just 10.3 points per game, the fewest in the nation, led by arguably the best front seven in the country. In its four victories over four ranked opponents, Notre Dame has surrendered just 35 total points.

	Alabama			Notre Dame
Overall Record	12-1		Overall Record	12-0
Conference Record	7-1		Conference Record	N/A
Bowl Record	34-22-3		Bowl Record	15-16
Last Bowl Win	2012 BCS Championship		Last Bowl Win	2010 Sun

All Time Series: 5-1 Notre Dame
Line: Alabama by 9.5

2013 GoDaddy.com Bowl Preview

Date: January 6, 2013 9:00 PM ET
Stadium: Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama
Payout: $750,000 per team
Played: 1999-present
Former Names: Mobile Alabama Bowl (1999-2000), GMAC Bowl (2001-2010)
Broadcasters: Mark Jones, Brock Huard
Sideline Reporter: Jessica Mendoza

Kent State: After a 11-1 season and a 8-0 regular season in the MAC, a double overtime loss to Northern Illinois in the MAC title game kept Kent State out of a BCS bowl. Kent State's backfield tandem of Dri Archer and Trayion Durham accounted for 2,600 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns, while the Golden Flashes' defense was second in the FBS in interceptions. The Golden Flashes are in unfamiliar territory as they play in their first bowl game in 40 years.

Arkansas State: Winning is costly for Sun Belt champion Arkansas State. In 2011, the program won 10 games and head coach Hugh Freeze departed after just one season on the job. This year the program won 9 wins and it lost another first-year coach, Gus Malzahn. The Red Wolves started the season 2-3, before winning their last 7 games. Arkansas State has the nation's 17th-ranked offense. The Red Wolves lost the GoDaddy.com bowl last season to Northern Illinois.

	Kent State			Arkansas State
Overall Record	11-2		Overall Record	9-3
Conference Record	8-0		Conference Record	7-1
Bowl Record	0-1		Bowl Record	0-2
Last Bowl Win	N/A		Last Bowl Win	N/A

All Time Series: 0-0
Line: Arkansas State by 3.5

2013 BBVA Compass Bowl Preview

Date: January 5, 2013 1:00 PM ET
Stadium: Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama
Payout: $1,000,025 SEC, $900,000 Big East
Played: 2006-present
Former Names: PapaJohns.com Bowl (2006-2010)
Broadcasters: Eamon McAnaney, David Diaz-Infante
Sideline Reporter: Paul Carcaterra

Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh lost to a Notre Dame team that will be playing in the National Championship 29-26 after 3 overtimes on November 3. Senior running back Ray Graham rushed for 1,042 yards, while senior quarterback Tino Sunseri passed for 3,103 yards. Pittsburgh has a formidable defense that allows only 19.7 points per game. The Panthers will play in the BBVA Compass Bowl for the third straight year.

Mississippi: The Rebels make their first bowl appearance since the 2009 season. Ole Miss has won 8 of its last 9 bowl games and has a .636 winning percentage in the postseason all-time. The Rebels became bowl-eligible only after their final game, a 41-24 victory over in-state rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. Ole Miss fans should dominate the crowd with Legion Field being only a three hour drive from Oxford.

	Pittsburgh			Mississippi
Overall Record	6-6		Overall Record	6-6
Conference Record	3-4		Conference Record	3-5
Bowl Record	12-16		Bowl Record	21-12
Last Bowl Win	2011 BBVA Compass		Last Bowl Win	2010 Cotton

All Time Series: 0-0
Line: Mississippi by 3.5

2013 At&T Cotton Bowl Classic Preview

Date: January 4, 2013 8:00 PM ET
Stadium: Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Payout: $3,625,000 per team
Played: 1937-present
Former Names: N/A
Broadcasters: Gus Johnson, Charles Davis
Sideline Reporter: Julie Alexandria, Petros Papadakis

Texas A&M: The Aggies went 6-2 in their first season as a member of the SEC. Texas A&M was the only team to hand Alabama a loss in 2012. Quarterback Johnny Manziel netted 4,600 yards of total offense and became the first freshman to ever win the Heisman Trophy. The Aggies average 552.3 yards of offense per game. The Aggies have gone 0-6 in their last 6 Cotton Bowl appearances.

Oklahoma: The Sooners' only two losses came from Kansas State and Notre Dame, two teams who combined for a record of 23-1. Senior quarterback Landry Jones has now accumulated 16,368 passing yards and 125 touchdowns in his four years in Norman. Oklahoma has beaten Texas A&M in 8 of their last 9 meetings. The Sooners are making their 14th consecutive bowl appearance as they look to get a win over a Big 12 defector.

	Texas A&M			Oklahoma
Overall Record	10-2		Overall Record	10-2
Conference Record	6-2		Conference Record	8-1
Bowl Record	14-19		Bowl Record	27-17-1
Last Bowl Win	2011 Meineke Car Care		Last Bowl Win	2011 Insight

All Time Series: 19-10 Oklahoma
Line: Texas A&M by 3

2013 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Preview

Date: January 3, 2013 8:30 PM ET
Stadium: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Payout: $17,000,000 per team
Played: 1971-present
Former Names: N/A
Broadcasters: Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge
Sideline Reporter: Holly Rowe

Oregon: The nation's leader in scoring margin, Oregon scored 50.8 points per game while giving up just 22 points per game. Oregon's offense primarily stuck to the ground, where three running backs and a quarterback combined for 3,445 yards and 40 scores. The Ducks are playing in their fourth consecutive BCS bowl game.   

Kansas State: A 52-24 loss to Baylor late in the season shattered the Wildcats' dream of a national championship.Quarterback Collin Klein has rushed for 22 touchdowns and thrown 15 more this season. Klein has scored at least once every game the last two years. Bill Snyder's team looks to get its first bowl win since the 2002 Holiday Bowl, losing their past 4 bowl appearances.

	Oregon			Kansas State
Overall Record	11-1		Overall Record	11-1
Conference Record	8-1		Conference Record	8-1
Bowl Record	10-15		Bowl Record	6-9
Last Bowl Win	2012 Rose		Last Bowl Win	2002 Holiday

All Time Series: 0-0
Line: Oregon by 8

2013 Allstate Sugar Bowl Preview

Date: January 2, 2013 8:30 PM ET
Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Payout: $17,000,000 per team
Played: 1935-present
Former Names: N/A
Broadcasters: Sean McDonough, Chris Spielman
Sideline Reporter: Quint Kessenich

Louisville: Louisville started the season 9-0, then lost 2 of their last 3 games. Louisville was dealt a serious blow when running back Senorise Perry was lost for the season in their loss to Syracuse. Jeremy Wright has gained just 89 yards on 48 carries, an average of 1.9 yards per rush, since Perry's injury. The Cardinals are heavy underdogs. A win over Florida would send shockwaves through college football.

Florida: A dominant defense that finished in the top 15 against both the pass and rush and surrendered the third-fewest points in the nation has delivered the Gators a trip to their 22nd consecutive bowl game. Florida defeated four teams that finished in the top 12 of the BCS standings. Its only loss came from rival Georgia. The Gators are back in a BCS bowl for the first time since 2009.

	Louisville			Florida
Overall Record	10-2		Overall Record	11-1
Conference Record	5-2		Conference Record	7-1
Bowl Record	7-8-1		Bowl Record	20-19
Last Bowl Win	2010 Beef 'O' Brady's		Last Bowl Win	2012 Gator

All Time Series: 2-0 Florida
Line: Florida by 14

2013 Discover Orange Bowl Preview

Date: January 1, 2013 8:30 PM ET
Stadium: Sun Life Stadium, Miami, Florida
Payout: $17,000,000 per team
Played: 1935-present
Former Names: N/A
Broadcasters: Joe Tessitore, Matt Millen
Sideline Reporter: Maria Taylor

Northern Illinois: The Huskies go to their fifth bowl game in as many years as they finish the season ranked No. 15 in the BCS allowing them to go to a BCS bowl game, despite criticism from the media and many fanbases that Northern Illinois does not belong. Quarterback Jordan Lynch threw for 2,962 yards and rushed for another 1,771 yards. Northern Illinois looks to upset the Seminoles and prove they can roll with the big dogs.

Florida State: The well-balanced Seminoles are equally talented on both sides of the ball, contributing to an average margin of victory of 24.8 points per game, the third-best margin in the FBS. The Seminoles have the 7th most effective scoring defense in the land and the 13th scoring offense. Head coach Jimbo Fisher is 2-0 in bowl games at Florida State. The Seminoles have lost their past 3 Orange Bowl appearances: 2001, 2004, 2006.

	Northern Illinois			Florida State
Overall Record	12-1		Overall Record	11-2
Conference Record	8-0		Conference Record	7-1
Bowl Record	4-3		Bowl Record	24-14-2
Last Bowl Win	2012 GoDaddy.com		Last Bowl Win	2011 Champs Sports

All Time Series: 0-0
Line: Florida State by 13.5

2013 Rose Bowl Preview

Date: January 1, 2013 5:00 PM ET
Stadium: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
Payout: $17,000,000 per team
Played: 1902, 1916-present
Former Names: Tournament East-West Football Game (1902, 1916-1922)
Broadcasters: Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit
Sideline Reporter: Heather Cox, Tom Rinaldi

Wisconsin: The Badgers played in the Big Ten Championship, despite a third-place finish in the Leaders division, due to sanctions at Ohio State and Penn State. A 70-31 rout of Nebraska in the title game earned the Badgers their third consecutive trip to the Rose Bowl. Wisconsin has lost to TCU and Oregon in its past two Rose Bowls. Wisconsin's head coach of seven years, Bret Bielema, bolted for Arkansas. Athletic director and former head coach Barry Alvarez will lead the team.    

Stanford: With the departure of Andrew Luck to the NFL, Stanford fell from the 22nd-ranked passing offense to 94th in the country. Despite a poor passing game, the Cardinal won their first conference championship since 1999, due to a stout defense. Stanford's run defense was the third-best in the FBS. The defense also produced 56 sacks, the most in the nation. Stanford rides a seven-game winning streak as it looks to win the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1972.

	Wisconsin			Stanford
Overall Record	8-5		Overall Record	11-2
Conference Record	4-4		Conference Record	8-1
Bowl Record	11-12		Bowl Record	10-12-1
Last Bowl Win	2009 Champs Sports		Last Bowl Win	2011 Orange

All Time Series: 4-0-1 Wisconsin
Line: Stanford by 6

2013 Outback Bowl Preview

Date: January 1, 2013 1:00 PM ET
Stadium: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Payout: $3,500,000 per team
Played: 1986-present
Former Names: Hall of Fame Bowl (1986-1995)
Broadcasters: Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden
Sideline Reporter: Shannon Spake

South Carolina: The Gamecocks have the 12th best defense in the nation. Sophomore defensive end Jadeveon Clowney has accounted for 13 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss this season. Senior Kenny Miles and freshman Mike Davis have shared the rushing duties after Marcus Lattimore's season ended on October 27th with a knee injury.

Michigan: Michigan will be without cornerback J.T. Floyd, punter Will Hagerup, and backup linebacker Brandin Hawthorne who were all suspended for the bowl game for violating team rules. Michigan's defense allows just 155.2 passing yards per game. Denard Robinson will play in his final collegiate game, likely splitting time at both quarterback and running back.

	South Carolina			Michigan
Overall Record	10-2		Overall Record	8-4
Conference Record	6-2		Conference Record	6-2
Bowl Record	5-12		Bowl Record	20-21
Last Bowl Win	2012 Capital One		Last Bowl Win	2012 Sugar

All Time Series: 1-1
Line: South Carolina by 5

2013 Capital One Bowl Preview

Date: January 1, 2013 1:00 PM ET
Stadium: Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Florida
Payout: $4,550,000 per team
Played: 1947-present
Former Names: Tangerine Bowl (1947-1982), Citrus Bowl (1983-2002)
Broadcasters: Rece Davis, Jesse Palmer, David Pollack
Sideline Reporter: Samantha Steele

Georgia: Bulldogs fans will remember the 2012 SEC Championship as the one that got away. Instead of playing Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship game, the 32-28 heartbreaking loss to Alabama relegates the Bulldogs to the Capital One while their SEC East rival Florida, who Georgia beat, plays in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Georgia looks to take its frustration out on the Huskers and get redemption.   

Nebraska: Nebraska is 91st in the nation in passing yards, but 8th in the nation in rushing yards. The defense has been middle-of-the-pack, allowing 26.2 yards per game. Nebraska needs a signature win desperately after being massacred by Wisconsin 70-31 in the Big Ten Championship and losing the Capital One Bowl last year to South Carolina 30-13.

	Georgia			Nebraska
Overall Record	11-2		Overall Record	10-3
Conference Record	7-1		Conference Record	7-1
Bowl Record	26-18-3		Bowl Record	24-24
Last Bowl Win	2009 Independence		Last Bowl Win	2009 Holiday

All Time Series: 1-0 Nebraska
Line: Georgia by 9