2011–12 NCAA football bowl games

2011–12 NCAA football bowl games
Season	2011
Regular season	September 1, 2011 – December 10, 2011
Number of bowls	35
All-star games	5
Bowl games	December 17, 2011 – January 9, 2012 (team-competitive)
National Championship	2012 BCS National Championship
Location of Championship	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana
Champions	Alabama Crimson Tide
Bowl Challenge Cup winner	(tie) C-USA and MAC
Bowl record by conference Conference Bowls Record Final AP poll Big Ten 10 4–6 (0.400) 4 SEC 9 6–3 (0.667) 5 ACC 8 2–6 (0.250) 3 Big 12 8 6–2 (0.750) 4 Pac-12 7 2–5 (0.286) 3 Big East 5 3–2 (0.600) 2 Conference USA 5 4–1 (0.800) 2 MAC 5 4–1 (0.800) 0 Mountain West 5 2–3 (0.400) 2 Sun Belt 3 1–2 (0.333) 0 WAC 3 0–3 (0.000) 0 Independents 2 1–1 (0.500) 0

The 2011–12 NCAA football bowl games were a series of college football bowl games. They concluded the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season, and included 35 team-competitive games and five all-star games. The games began on December 17, 2011, and, aside from the all-star games, concluded with the 2012 BCS National Championship Game in New Orleans, that was played on January 9, 2012.

The total of 35 team-competitive bowls was unchanged from the previous year. While bowl games had been the purview of only the very best teams for nearly a century, this was the sixth consecutive year that teams with non-winning seasons participated in bowl games. To fill the 70 available team-competitive bowl slots, a total of 14 teams (20% of all participants) with non-winning seasons participated in bowl games—13 had a .500 (6-6) season and, for the first time ever, a team with a sub-.500 (6-7) season was invited to a bowl game.

Selection of the teams

Main articles: Bowl eligibility and Automatic bids to college bowl games

In the previous year's bowl cycle, the NCAA scrapped a bylaw which mandated that a school with a non-losing record of 6–6 in regular season play were not eligible unless conferences could not fill out available bowl positions with teams with a winning record of seven (or more) wins. The new rule was stretched further in this 2011-12 bowl season when a team with a losing record, the 6–7 UCLA Bruins, were invited to a bowl game. The Bruins, the Pac-12 South Division winners, finished 6–6 but the USC Trojans (10–2), winners of the division, were barred from postseason play because of the University of Southern California athletics scandal of the mid-2000s, and the resulting two-year ban. The conference and the school applied for a waiver, which the NCAA accepted, based on their bowl eligibility after the sixth win, but having to play in an unmerited conference championship game.^[1]

This interpretation of policy ultimately led to Western Kentucky, with a 7–5 winning record, or Ball State, with a 6–6 non-losing record, going uninvited.

Bowl eligibility

Eligible

• ACC (8): Clemson (ACC Champions), Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech (Coastal Division Champions), North Carolina, Florida State, Virginia, Wake Forest, NC State
• Big East (5): Cincinnati (Big East co-champions), West Virginia (Big East co-champions), Rutgers, Louisville (Big East co-champions), Pittsburgh
• Big Ten (10): Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Penn State, Wisconsin (Big Ten Champions), Nebraska, Michigan State (Legends Division Champions), Ohio State, Northwestern, Purdue
• Big 12 (8): Oklahoma State (Big 12 Champions), Kansas State, Oklahoma, Texas, Baylor, Iowa State, Texas A&M, Missouri
• Conference USA (5): Houston (C-USA West Division Champions), Southern Miss (C-USA Champions), Tulsa, SMU, Marshall
• Independents (2): BYU, Notre Dame
• MAC (6): NIU (Mid-American Conference Champions), Ohio (MAC East Division Champions), Ball State, Toledo (MAC West Division Co-Champions), Temple, Western Michigan
• Mountain West (5): Air Force, Boise State, TCU (Mountain West Champions), San Diego State, Wyoming
• Pac-12 (7): Stanford (Pac-12 North Division Co-Champions), Oregon (Pac-12 Champions), Arizona State, Washington, California, Utah, UCLA (Pac-12 South Division Champions, 6–7, bowl-eligible per waiver) ^[2]
• SEC (9): LSU (SEC Champions), Alabama, South Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia (SEC East Division Champions), Auburn, Florida, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State
• Sun Belt (4): Louisiana–Lafayette, Arkansas State (Sun Belt Champions), Florida International, Western Kentucky
• WAC (3): Louisiana Tech (WAC Champions), Nevada, Utah State

Number of bowl berths available: 70
Number of teams assured of bowl eligibility: 71 (72, with 6–7 UCLA becoming bowl-eligible per NCAA waiver)

Western Kentucky (7–5) and Ball State (6–6) were not extended invitations to bowl games.

Teams unable to become bowl-eligible

• ACC (4): Boston College, Maryland & Duke (by record), Miami (FL) (via self-imposed sanctions)
• Big East (3): South Florida, Syracuse, Connecticut
• Big Ten (2): Indiana, Minnesota
• Big 12 (2): Kansas, Texas Tech
• C-USA (7): UAB, Memphis, Tulane, Rice, UCF, UTEP, East Carolina
• Independents (2): Army & Navy
• MAC (7): Akron, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Bowling Green, Miami (OH) & Kent State. Eastern Michigan was 6–6 but had two FCS wins.
• Mountain West (3): New Mexico, UNLV & Colorado State
• Pac-12 (5): Colorado, Oregon State, Washington State & Arizona (by record), USC (via NCAA sanctions)
• SEC (3): Ole Miss, Kentucky & Tennessee
• Sun Belt (5): Florida Atlantic, Louisiana-Monroe, Middle Tennessee, Troy & North Texas
• WAC (5): Idaho, San Jose State, Fresno State, Hawaii & New Mexico State

Fiesta Bowl controversy

Main article: Fiesta Bowl § Financial scandals

In March 2011, because of illegal campaign contributions to politicians friendly to the Fiesta Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl Board of Directors fired bowl CEO John Junker.^[3] The scandal threatened the Fiesta Bowl's status as a BCS game for the 2011-12 season, as the BCS said it might replace the bowl in its lineup if officials could not convince them it should remain.^[4][5] In May 2011, the BCS fined the Fiesta Bowl organization US $1 million without removing their BCS spot.

New bowl sponsors

Meineke has transferred their sponsorship from the game in Charlotte to the Houston-based game previously known as the Texas Bowl, and was renamed the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas. Belk Department Stores assumes the title sponsorship for the North Carolina contest, renaming that game the Belk Bowl. The Idaho Potato Commission takes over as the title sponsor for the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho and has been renamed the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, while Montreal-based Gildan, a maker of T-shirts, underwear and socks, will begin sponsorship of the previously unsponsored New Mexico Bowl this season. All of the bowl games will have a presenting or title sponsor.

Moratorium on new bowl games

The NCAA has placed a three-year moratorium, starting with the 2011-12 bowl season, on any new bowl games. This follows the addition of two new games (Pinstripe Bowl, TicketCity Bowl) for the 2010-11 bowl season, bringing the total number of bowl games to 35. The expansion to 70 teams required to fill these 35 bowl games has challenged the ability to actually find enough teams with winning (7-5 or better) records to fill bowl slots. Teams with non-winning (6-6) and losing (6-7) records have participated in bowl games since the expansion to 35 games. By the 2012-13 bowl season, with multiple teams ineligible due to sanctions, the NCAA was forced to anticipate a need to allow teams with even worse (5-7) losing records to fill bowl selection slots in 2012-13.

Schedule

The official schedule was released June 17, 2011.^[6] Though it is traditionally the date for many bowl games to be played, none will be held on January 1, due to that date being on a Sunday and conflict with the National Football League's slate of Sunday games.^[7]

Subsequently, the Fiesta Bowl moved from January 5 to January 2, in its traditional spot following the Rose Bowl, after the 2011 NFL lockout was settled. The Monday evening spot was held open for a possible Monday Night Football game.^[8]

NOTE: All times are US EST (UTC −5).

Non-BCS games

Date	Bowl	Location	Television	Teams	Affiliations	Results
Dec. 17	New Mexico Bowl	University Stadium University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM 2:00 pm	ESPN	Wyoming Cowboys (8–4) Temple Owls (8–4)	MWC MAC	Wyoming 15 Temple 37
	Famous Idaho Potato Bowl	Bronco Stadium Boise State University Boise, ID 5:30 pm		Ohio Bobcats (9–4) Utah State Aggies (7–5)	MAC WAC	Ohio 24 Utah State 23
	New Orleans Bowl	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, LA 9:00 pm		San Diego State Aztecs (8–4) Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (8–4)	MWC Sun Belt	San Diego State 30 Louisiana–Lafayette 32
Dec. 20	Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl	Tropicana Field St. Petersburg, FL 8:00 pm		FIU Golden Panthers (8–4) Marshall Thundering Herd (6–6)	Sun Belt C-USA	FIU 10 Marshall 20
Dec. 21	Poinsettia Bowl	SDCCU Stadium San Diego, CA 8:00 pm		#18 TCU Horned Frogs (10–2) Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (8–4)	MWC WAC	TCU 31 Louisiana Tech 24
Dec. 22	Maaco Bowl Las Vegas	Sam Boyd Stadium University of Nevada, Las Vegas Whitney, NV 8:00 pm		#7 Boise State Broncos (11–1) Arizona State Sun Devils (6–6)	MWC Pac-12	Boise State 56 Arizona State 24
Dec. 24	Hawaii Bowl	Aloha Stadium Honolulu, HI 8:00 pm		Nevada Wolf Pack (7–5) #21 Southern Miss Golden Eagles (11–2)	WAC C-USA	Nevada 17 Southern Miss 24
Dec. 26	Independence Bowl	Independence Stadium Shreveport, LA 5:00 pm	ESPN2	Missouri Tigers (7–5) North Carolina Tar Heels (7–5)	Big 12 ACC	Missouri 41 North Carolina 24
Dec. 27	Little Caesars Pizza Bowl	Ford Field Detroit, MI 4:30 pm	ESPN	Purdue Boilermakers (6–6) Western Michigan Broncos (7–5)	Big Ten MAC	Purdue 37 Western Michigan 32
	Belk Bowl	Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, NC 8:00 pm		North Carolina State Wolfpack (7–5) Louisville Cardinals (7–5)	ACC Big East	North Carolina State 31 Louisville 24
Dec. 28	Military Bowl	RFK Stadium Washington, DC 4:30 pm		Air Force Falcons (7–5) Toledo Rockets (8–4)[n 1]	MWC MAC	Air Force 41 Toledo 42
	Holiday Bowl	Snapdragon Stadium San Diego, CA 8:00 pm		#24 Texas Longhorns (7–5) California Golden Bears (7–5)	Big 12 Pac-12	Texas 21 California 10
Dec. 29	Champs Sports Bowl	Citrus Bowl Orlando, FL 5:30 pm		Florida State Seminoles (8–4) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8–4)	ACC Independent	Florida State 18 Notre Dame 14
	Alamo Bowl	Alamodome San Antonio, TX 9:00 pm		#12 Baylor Bears (9–3) Washington Huskies (7–5)	Big 12 Pac-12	Baylor 67 Washington 56
Dec. 30	Armed Forces Bowl	Gerald J. Ford Stadium University Park, TX Noon		BYU Cougars (9–3) Tulsa Golden Hurricane (8–4)	Independent C-USA	BYU 24 Tulsa 21
	Pinstripe Bowl	Yankee Stadium Bronx, NY 3:20 pm		Iowa State Cyclones (6–6) Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8–4)	Big 12 Big East	Iowa State 13 Rutgers 27
	Music City Bowl	LP Field Nashville, TN 6:40 pm		Wake Forest Demon Deacons (6–6) Mississippi State Bulldogs (6–6)	ACC SEC	Wake Forest 17 Mississippi State 23
	Insight Bowl	Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, AZ 10:00 pm		Iowa Hawkeyes (7–5) #14 Oklahoma Sooners (9–3)	Big Ten Big 12	Iowa 14 Oklahoma 31
Dec. 31	Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas	Reliant Stadium Houston, TX Noon		Texas A&M Aggies (6–6) Northwestern Wildcats (6–6)	Big 12 Big Ten	Texas A&M 33 Northwestern 22
	Sun Bowl	Sun Bowl Stadium University of Texas El Paso El Paso, TX 2:00 pm	CBS	Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (8–4) Utah Utes (7–5)	ACC Pac-12	Georgia Tech 27 Utah 30 (OT)
	AutoZone Liberty Bowl	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN 3:30 pm	ABC	Cincinnati Bearcats (9–3) Vanderbilt Commodores (6–6)	Big East SEC	Cincinnati 31 Vanderbilt 24
	Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl	AT&T Park San Francisco, CA 3:30 pm	ESPN	Illinois Fighting Illini (6–6)[n 2] UCLA Bruins (6–7)	Big Ten Pac-12	Illinois 20 UCLA 14
	Chick-fil-A Bowl	Georgia Dome Atlanta, GA 7:30 pm		#25 Auburn Tigers (7–5) Virginia Cavaliers (8–4)	SEC ACC	Auburn 43 Virginia 24
Jan. 2	TicketCity Bowl	Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX Noon	ESPNU	#22 Penn State Nittany Lions (9–3) #19 Houston Cougars (12–1)	Big Ten C-USA	Penn State 14 Houston 30
	Outback Bowl	Raymond James Stadium Tampa, FL 1:00 pm	ABC	#17 Michigan State Spartans (10–3) #16 Georgia Bulldogs (10–3)	Big Ten SEC	Michigan State 33 Georgia 30 (3OT)
	Capital One Bowl	Citrus Bowl Orlando, FL 1:00 pm	ESPN	#20 Nebraska Cornhuskers (9–3) #9 South Carolina Gamecocks (10–2)	Big Ten SEC	Nebraska 13 South Carolina 30
	Gator Bowl	EverBank Field Jacksonville, FL 1:00 pm	ESPN2	Ohio State Buckeyes (6–6) Florida Gators (6–6)	Big Ten SEC	Ohio State 17 Florida 24
Jan. 6	Cotton Bowl Classic	Cowboys Stadium Arlington, TX 8:00 pm	FOX	#8 Kansas State Wildcats (10–2) #6 Arkansas Razorbacks (10–2)	Big 12 SEC	Kansas State 16 Arkansas 29
Jan. 7	BBVA Compass Bowl	Legion Field Birmingham, AL 1:00 pm	ESPN	SMU Mustangs (7–5) Pittsburgh Panthers (6–6)	C-USA Big East	SMU 28 Pittsburgh 6
Jan. 8	GoDaddy.com Bowl	Ladd–Peebles Stadium Mobile, AL 9:00 pm		NIU Huskies (10–3) Arkansas State Red Wolves (10–2)	MAC Sun Belt	NIU 38 Arkansas State 20

1. Navy, which had the primary contract for this slot, was not bowl-eligible. For the 2011 season, the TicketCity Bowl and Military Bowl have contingency contracts with the Big 12 if those games' primary partners are not available. Since the TicketCity Bowl's primary partners (the Big Ten and C-USA) both filled their slots, Navy's Military Bowl slot was passed to the Big 12; however the Big 12 did not have enough teams to fulfill their contract, so Toledo from the MAC was invited.
2. Army, which had the primary contract for this slot, was not bowl-eligible. The ACC had a contingency contract for the slot, but could only fill it if it produced nine bowl-eligible teams. Miami's self-imposed bowl ban made it impossible for the conference to fill that slot.

2012 Bowl Championship Series schedule

Date	Game	Site	Television	Teams	Affiliations	Results
Jan. 2	Rose Bowl	Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 5:00 pm	ESPN	#10 Wisconsin Badgers (11–2) #5 Oregon Ducks (11–2)	Big Ten Pac-12	Wisconsin 38 Oregon 45
	Fiesta Bowl	University of Phoenix Stadium Glendale, AZ 8:30 pm		#3 Oklahoma State Cowboys (11–1) #4 Stanford Cardinal (11–1)	Big 12 Pac-12	Oklahoma State 41 Stanford 38 (OT)
Jan. 3	Sugar Bowl	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, LA 8:30 pm		#13 Michigan Wolverines (10–2) #11 Virginia Tech Hokies (11–2)	Big Ten ACC	Michigan 23 Virginia Tech 20 (OT)
Jan. 4	Orange Bowl	Sun Life Stadium Miami Gardens, FL 8:30 pm		#15 Clemson Tigers (10–3) #23 West Virginia Mountaineers (9–3)	ACC Big East	Clemson 33 West Virginia 70
Jan. 9	BCS National Championship Game	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, LA 8:30 pm		#1 LSU Tigers (13–0) #2 Alabama Crimson Tide (11–1)	SEC SEC	LSU 0 Alabama 21

Post-BCS all-star games

Date	Game	Site	Television	Participants	Results
Jan. 16	Casino del Sol College All-Star Game	Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium Tucson, AZ 6:00 pm	Fox Sports Arizona and Fox College Sports	Stars vs. Stripes	Stripes 24 Stars 21
Jan. 21	2012 East–West Shrine Game	Tropicana Field St. Petersburg, FL 4:00 pm	NFL Network	East Team vs. West Team	West 20 East 17
	NFLPA Collegiate Bowl	The Home Depot Center Carson, CA 6:00 pm	NBC Sports Network	American vs. National	National 20 American 14
	The Battle of Florida	FAU Stadium Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL 8:00 pm	Fox College Sports	North Florida vs. South Florida	North Florida 51 South Florida 3
Jan. 28	2012 Senior Bowl	Ladd–Peebles Stadium Mobile, AL 4:00 pm	NFL Network	North Team vs. South Team	North 23 South 13

Note: The NFLPA Texas vs The Nation game was not played in 2012, and the NFLPA instead sponsored the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

References

1. Miller, Ted (November 29, 2011). "Losing Record? UCLA Still Wants a Bowl". ESPN. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
2. Yoon, Peter (November 30, 2011). "NCAA Approves UCLA Bowl Waiver". ESPN LA. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
3. "Fiesta Bowl fires CEO John Junker", AP, March 29, 2011
4. BCS confident it could cut ties with Fiesta Bowl if deemed necessary
5. Wetzel, Dan, "BCS conducts shallow probe as party rages on", Yahoo! Sports, retrieved on 31 March 2011.
6. "2011–12 Bowl Schedule". ESPN. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
7. "Texas Longhorns: Football, Basketball, Baseball and more | Statesman.com". Archived from the original on June 20, 2011. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
8. "Fiesta Bowl likely on the move - to Jan. 2, 2012 - CBSSports.com". Archived from the original on April 25, 2012. Retrieved January 2, 2012.

Further reading

• "ESPN.com's 2011-12 All-Bowl Team". ESPN. January 2012. Retrieved January 10, 2019.