College football revenue year-over-year hovers around 3 billion dollars. Speaking in more appropriate terms, that amounts to 300 million cases of Natty Lite. My oh my. This allows for coaches like Nick Saban to make $11 million a year, more than almost any coach on the planet, including the legendary Bill Belichick. The players? Well, they get cool gear, and some low-key ‘gifts’ from boosters, and possibly some CTE. But there’s a reason why Marcus Dupree, one of the best college football players to ever live, is now a licensed truck driver.
If a college football player’s team is lucky enough to go to a Bowl game, they will receive gifts of varying values by the sponsors hosting the games. As Kentucky Sports Radio points out, last year, Kentucky players each got a bobblehead of themselves from the TaxSlayer Bowl. This year, they’ll play in Nashville’s Music City Bowl and receive a fossil watch and a trip to the gift suite (where they’ll be able to shop up to $550 per player, NCAA rules mandate.) Schools can also add up to $400 for each player, bumping their allowance up to $950.
The folks over at Sports Business Daily compiled a list of gifts each team will receive for its corresponding Bowl game. Check out some of them below.
Dollar General Bowl (Appalachian State vs. Toledo): Amazon Echo; Maui Jim sunglasses; Timely Watch Co. watch; Wilson football
Hawai’i Bowl (Fresno State vs. Houston): Electronics gift suite; Oakley backpack and sunglasses; Tori Richard aloha shirt; beach towel; Pro Athletics surf trunks; performance t-shirt
Quick Lane Bowl (Duke vs. Northern Illinois): $175 Best Buy gift card; JBL bluetooth headphones; life-sized Fathead decal for each participant of his likeness; Ogio backpack and tag; mini helmet; hoodie; workout shorts; winter hat; vintage football
Cactus Bowl (Kansas State vs. UCLA): Yeti cooler and tumbler; Fossil watch; Ogio backpack; Legendary hat; JBL Flip 4 speaker; blanket
Foster Farms Bowl (Arizona vs. Purdue): Fossil watch; Sony XB950N1 extra bass noise cancelling headphones; Timbuk2 backpack; coin, $25 Apple iTunes gift card
Camping World Bowl (Virginia Tech vs. Oklahoma State): $400 Best Buy player shopping trip; Timely Watch Co. watch
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (USC vs. Ohio State): Would not disclose
Playstation Fiesta Bowl (Washington vs. Penn State): PlayStation PS4 PRO bundle; Fossil watch; Ogio backpack
Capital One Orange Bowl (Miami vs. Wisconsin): Gift suite; Tourneau watch; Lyfe Brand hat; Ice Shaker water bottle and shaker cup
College Football Playoff at the Allstate Sugar Bowl (Alabama vs. Clemson): Gift suite; Fossil watch; New Era Cap; Rock ‘Em socks; panoramic game photo
College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual (Georgia vs. Oklahoma): Gift suite; Fossil watch; Ogio backpack; New Era 9Fifty snapback adjustable hat
[h/t Sports Business Daily]