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NCAA Committee to delay Fiesta Bowl decision

The NCAA membership committee that licenses postseason bowl games is delaying its decision on the Fiesta Bowl as it gathers more information on the bowl’s future.

The Postseason Bowl Licensing Subcommittee, part of the NCAA Football Issues Committee, will meet in New Orleans April 27-28 and review the licenses of 35 bowls. The subcommittee began last year to license bowls on a four-year cycle but reviews the licenses on an annual basis.

While Fiesta Bowl representatives will meet with the subcommittee in New Orleans, the subcommittee will not make any decision about licensing the Fiesta Bowl or the Insight Bowl, run by the same organization, until later this spring, said Nick Carparelli, Jr., chair of the Football Issues Committee and its postseason bowl subcommittee.

In the wake of allegations of financial and political improprieties at the Fiesta Bowl, subcommittee members have asked bowl representatives to provide details for how they will oversee and manage the bowls in the future, including specific business plans.

In addition, the subcommittee will continue to review the Fiesta Bowl’s independent special committee report and a forthcoming report from a Bowl Championship Series task force. The bowl is one of five played in the BCS, which is managed by the 11 Football Bowl Subdivision conferences and the University of Notre Dame. 

“We are delaying our overall licensing review and decision of the Fiesta Bowl and Insight Bowl until we can discuss these details with bowl officials and fully examine all appropriate information,” said Carparelli, senior associate commissioner at the Big East Conference.

Bowl sponsoring agencies must meet the NCAA’s licensing criteria each year of the four-year license to conduct the bowl game in future years. Should a sponsoring agency not meet any of the criteria, it can lose its bowl license. The subcommittee has the ultimate authority to make licensing decisions in the best interest of intercollegiate athletics, Carparelli said.

The NCAA does not operate or administer bowl games in Division I but authorizes and regulates them to ensure student-athlete safety and well-being through its postseason bowl licensing process.

Bowls are regulated to preserve the benefits for participating schools, conferences and student-athletes and sponsoring communities as well, Carparelli said. 

In its review process, the committee examines conference commitments, sponsorships, revenue expectations, facility conditions, bowl management and community support.

In addition to meeting with Fiesta Bowl and Insight Bowl officials, the postseason bowl licensing subcommittee will review the other 33 bowl licenses. Last year, the committee moved from a one-year to four-year licensing cycle, which aligns with the timing of bowl conference agreements, which are completed on a four-year timeframe.

The postseason bowl licensing members of the Football Issues Committee are comprised of one representative from each of the 11 Division I Football Bowl Subdivision conferences.