Utah Utes Head Coach Has Intriguing Idea To Fix Bowl Games And It Makes Sense

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College football bowl games used to be iconic, as teams wanted to play in one of the New Year's Six bowls.

When the BCS National Championship was just two teams – and even when the playoffs expanded to four teams – bowl games were everything. Players played in them, regardless of whether they were going to the NFL, and a successful season for many programs was based on whether they made a bowl game and what kind of bowl game they made.

Yet, when the playoffs expanded, bowl games lost their luster. For the bowl games that aren't part of the playoffs, you often see third-stringers taking the field, as plenty of players opt out because they are going pro or are in the transfer portal.

So, ahead of the 2026 college football season, Utah Utes head coach Morgan Scalley has an idea to fix bowl games and also start each college football season with a bang.

"I am a big fan of bowl games Week 0; you keep the bowl sponsors happy, guys aren’t opting out, it’s good against good,” Scalley said to USA Today. “You put bowl games Week 0. And you have a 24-team playoff, so those games don’t necessarily hurt you if you lose and everyone’s fired up. And a 24-team playoffs, you don’t make the playoffs, you are done; your season’s over with. So, I am a big fan of that. …

"I just think you get to the end of the season, and kids are opting out, and these bowl games have been so special. They’ve been so awesome. Let’s preserve it. Let’s put them early where everyone’s going to want to play.”

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With the playoffs likely to expand to 24 teams in the near future, it would likely be the end of bowl games. However, in Scalley's idea, the bowl games would be played at the beginning og the year, and although the rosters might be different, it still will likely result in great games to begin the season.

And, as Scalley notes, with 24 teams, one loss won't end their season, so teams should be on board for tougher scheduling and better games early on.

Bowl games used to be something I loved watching during Christmas break from school, but they are no longer intriguing. So, I hope Scalley's idea gains traction as it is something that other people in college football have talked about.

Momentum Building for 24-Team Playoff

Scalley's idea for bowl games makes a ton of sense, especially if the 24-team playoff happens.

Although many fans – myself included – aren't huge fans of 24 teams, as the first couple of rounds would be blowouts, money talks and the 24-team playoff will happen soon.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, who's one of the most powerful people in college football, said 24 teams seems likely.

"A lot of our coaches, a lot of our athletic directors, and probably some others, think 24 is the right direction,” Sankey said on The Paul Finebaum Show. “What we’ve said is that could ultimately be the proper direction. We just don’t think you leap to that without information. And research and understanding the marketplace informs that decision.”

Meanwhile, ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said at ACC media days that he is also in favor of 24 teams.

"I have been vocal about the idea that if you have a championship, and you have teams that truly could win a championship, and they're not invited, which we experienced a few years ago, and others have experienced the last couple years, you don't have the right format," Phillips said on Wednesday. "So it is about greater access, if you're going to have a true national championship. I have continued to advocate that we should increase. There's a debate between 16 and 24. I've gone on record that I believe 24 is the right number for us."

So, at this point, it seems only a matter of time until the college football playoff is expanded to 24 teams.

Related: Predicting The 12-Team College Football Playoff Bracket

This story was originally published by Lindys Sports on Jul 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Lindys Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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