INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Very few things about the 2020 college football season have been normal. You can add the bowl season to that list.
Wednesday, the NCAA Division I Council waived bowl eligibility requirements for the 2020-21 bowl season and waived the minimum number of contests for all football teams.
In normal circumstances to qualify for a postseason bowl game, a team must meet the criteria to be considered a deserving team, which is generally defined as having a .500 overall record. The Football Oversight Committee’s recommendation waives that requirement for the 2020-21 season. Additionally, the window for postseason games, only for the 2020-21 season, opens Dec. 1 and closes Jan. 11.
“In keeping with the Division I membership’s desire to provide maximum flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Council voted to allow as many student-athletes as possible the opportunity to participate in bowl games this year,” said Council chair M. Grace Calhoun, athletics director at Pennsylvania. “The decision also provides some certainty for schools and coaches as we move toward the postseason.”
