Some news today out of San Diego… The Poinsettia Bowl is looking to alter its format so that it no longer offers an at-large berth. According to the article in the U-T, game executives would like Navy to play there once every three years with the Pac-10 providing its #6 choice in the other two years. While in my heart I love having at-large berths in bowl games, in the current bowl climate this makes sense. After a healthy start in 2005 with Navy bringing 20,000 fans to its game against Colorado State, the Poinsettia Bowl struggled to attract fans for its TCU-Northern Illinois matchup last year. Bringing a Pac-10 team onboard to play someone from the Mountain West would provide two regional opponents whose fans wouldn’t have much difficulty travelling to a pre-Christmas bowl game. In the long run, anything this game can do to stay afloat is good for Navy. Having a spot guaranteed for us every three years is a tremendous help when you’re an independent with no other bowl tie-ins of your own.
The article mentions that the Hawaii Bowl is also interested in hooking up with the Pac-10’s 6th choice. If I’m Chet Gladchuk, I’m placing calls to Honolulu to see if those folks wouldn’t mind Navy once in a while, too.
The Birddog 
While I agree that any Bowl that would commit to Navy is a good thing.
I dont know if we could not do even better if our year was allowed to progress?
The case is point was the Meineke Care Care Bowl which despite the loss had to be the best exposure that we received out of all the Bowl games and it was convenient and not a costly trip to the West Coast.
I thought the crowd was the best we have had in any of the Bowl games and the great effort of the team was in large part due to a vocal Navy contingent.
So I think we lose something by going to a West Coast game(yes I understand the San Diego/Navy connection) but I question what fans other than the most staunch Navy fans will tune into that game on a Thurdsay night and what media exposure it will bring?
The game seems to be one that is early so that they can get it over with and nobody gives it any attention.
I thought last years Bowl game was a big step in the right direction and when I heard we had already commited to the P-Bowl I was a bit disappointed.
I understand its a business but what happened to teams earning the game during the season?
While I thinks its a no brainer for us as we should get 8-9 wins anyway I cant help but wonder where else we would have ended up if say we won 9 games and three of those were Rutgers and Wake and finally Notre Dame?
I know its all hypothetical but I wondered if we had settled too soon?
If so what does that say of our aspirations to get into a “major Bowl” game?
Sure the BCS will always be out of reach but what about that next tier?
Plus who is to say that one day we dont get back into a Top 20 ranking.
What happened to the excitement you felt as your team did well and they started to get Bowl offers and had a true choice?
Maybe I am too old school for this new type of thinking and should be happy we have that Bowl game sewed up already (please dont tell me its not?).
But while I am happy about our Bowl game streak I cant but help to think we could do better and should not settle so soon.
It isn’t a question of settling, though. It’s a question of availability. The Poinsettia Bowl is the only game outside of the BCS that has a spot reserved for an at-large bid. Every other bowl game has a conference affiliation. There isn’t anything to hold out for. It was a little more feasible to consider when we were playing 11-game seasons, but now that 6-6 is good enough for teams to fill their conference tie-ins there’s a good chance that there won’t be any other games available to us. None that are any more high-profile than the Poinsettia Bowl, anyway.
We didn’t get the Meineke Car Care Bowl by holding out and waiting, either. We had to make that arrangement before the season, too. The reason why that game was available was because its contract with the Big East had expired. We were able to swoop in while they were in the middle of renegotiating. We need to make those same kinds of arrangements if we want to play in these bowl games, but it can only happen when these contracts expire.
Thanks
Your points are what I expected to hear as I have a tendency to live in the past and need to be happy with the fact that we are still going to be in another Bowl game.
I forgot that spot dropped to us for the Meineke but to me it was the best of the recent Bowl games.
I know the only chance to aim higher would be if we joined a conference but I have addressed and seen that in many communications with Chet and there is no chance we will give up the Independent status.
So back to my other most pressing AIM –
BEATING NOTRE DAME!
PS- Thanks for opening up another Navy website!
The insights into Academy life is a real treat for someone who was an Academy wannabe-but never made it.
Its a rare brotherhood that you guys all share and you can all be proud that you went and graduated and served your commitment.
Only special people get into it!