The NCAA Postseason Football Licensing Subcommittee reviewed 32 applications and licensed 31 bowl games for the 2006-07 season.

Existing bowls that have been licensed for 2006-07 include: AutoZone Liberty, Capital One, Champs Sports, Chick-Fil-A, Emerald, Fed Ex Orange, Gaylord Hotels Music City, GMAC, Independence, Insight, Pioneer Pure Vision Las Vegas, MasterCard Alamo, Meineke Car Care, MPC Computers, Motor City, Allstate Sugar, Outback, Pacific Life Holiday, San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia, Fort Worth, Rose, AT&T Cotton, Hawaii, Tostitos Fiesta, Toyota Gator, Vitalis Sun and New Orleans.

Four new bowls were licensed for the upcoming postseason, including the International Bowl in Toronto, Canada; the Birmingham Bowl; and the New Mexico Bowl. The subcommittee also licensed the fifth Bowl Championship Series game, to be conducted in Glendale, Arizona, which will host the BCS national championship.

Subcommittee Chair Mark Womack, executive associate commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, said legislation passed by the Division I Board of Directors that allows for teams with 6-6 records to be bowl-eligible under certain circumstances provided “breathing room” for the additional bowls.

Womack said the subcommittee based the total number of bowls on historical data regarding the number of teams typically bowl-eligible and the licensing criteria used annually to assess the qualifications of the bowl candidates. The Board’s decision increased the potential number of bowl opportunities and allowed for the licensing of additional bowls. There were 28 bowls last year.

“The subcommittee’s goal is to provide the best experience for student-athletes, coaches and fans and to support the long-term viability of the bowl system. After thorough review of the applications and the licensing criteria, we had to make some difficult decisions, but we feel they are decisions made in the interests of a successful postseason,” Womack said.

The game in Toronto will be the first played outside the U.S. since 1937. The game will feature a matchup of teams from the Big East and Mid-American Conferences.

“From a destination standpoint, the game will be in close proximity to the two conferences,” Womack said. “The Big East and the MAC have a number of institutions that are within relatively easy driving distance to Toronto.”

The subcommittee deferred a decision on the Houston Bowl until June, pending review of the bowl’s financial challenges (it has yet to meet payout commitments from the 2005 game).

As part of its meeting in Orlando, Florida, the subcommittee also reviewed bowl revenues and distributions from the 2005-06 postseason. Members noted that the games generated about $191.5 million in revenue that was distributed to participating teams and conferences. About 1.4 million fans attended the games, while almost 5,300 student-athletes took part in the experience.