Despite the Cincinnati Bearcats failing to make the Access Bowl this year, UC still stands to make a sizable chunk of change by way of Houston going to the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl.
According to the new College Football Playoff format, love you by the way, each conference that sends a team to one of the major bowl games will earn $18 million. Those that make the championship game take home another $22 million. Last season the American Athletic Conference missed out on this payday with Boise State and the Mountain West going to the Fiesta Bowl. Instead the AAC was left to accept checks in the form of $2 million or less among the likes of the Military and Miami Beach Bowls.
Not this year, though. Sure American teams are heading back to the Military and Miami Beach Bowls, a whopping eight of 12 members. But, with several of those teams playing at the top of their game, and the rankings among the Group of Five, the American was a shoe in for one of the bowls earning playoff revenue cash. Houston will definitely get the glory of facing Florida State in the Peach Bowl but Cincinnati will still be a big benefactor financially.
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The only question is how the AAC will distribute that $18 million. Split evenly and it comes out to $1.5 million per team, the payout for an average non-playoff bowl. But I’m not sure exactly what’s in the bylaws within the conference. It stands to reason that the American would distribute the money evenly to all members but, at the same time, shouldn’t Houston get just a little bit more for having actually earned their way into the Peach Bowl? Say, the Cougars take home $3 million and the others receive roughly $1.36 million for riding on their coattails?
That seems fair. I mean, if Cincinnati was in Houston’s position I’d certainly advocate the Bearcats receiving more than their fair share of the cash.
Regardless, since UC isn’t going to the Peach Bowl, they really don’t have much of a say in matters. Houston doesn’t either, since.. you know.. bylaws and all. But the fact that the Bearcats could pull in $1.5 million for doing nothing but simply being a member of the AAC, over double the payout to the entire conference for the bowl game they’re actually playing in, is the definition of free money.
Nice doin’ business with you, Houston!