Actually screaming won't get it done.

To get noticed, fans need to hit the existing system in their pocketbooks. What would get noticed is if the fans boycotted the bowls. No need to boycott the championship game. Boycott the other bowl games, whose matchup is meaningless in terms of the National Championship picture.

Unrelated to this (or maybe related to this topic, actually) - what's going to happen to this years Sugar Bowl ? They could have the Louisiana SuperDome ready by January 2006, but no way is New Orleans going to be a tourist destination this year.

For now such concerns must rightly take a back seat to the humanitarian situation, however the SEC (most closely connected to the Nokia Sugar Bowl) has to be pondering the possibilities behind the scenes RIGHT NOW. The bowls are set for this coming New Years, and a lot are signing contracts thru 2010 right now. Could this event somehow prompt a big shake-up in the grand scheme of things ?

Observations on possible Sugar Bowl '06 locations

Houston
Y: Obvious from the facility front, proximity to and relationship with New Orleans, possible reward for all the City is doing.

N: Might be otherwise occupied with relief efforts, Texans games and the Houston Bowl which, IIRC, is being played New Years Eve.

San Antonio
Y: Should be available and well experienced by then if Saints are playing "home" games there. Better tourist location than Houston, IMO.

N: Weaker venue, further removed from NO.

Death Valley; West
Y: Plenty of seating, closest locale for locals, renovations should be done in time for Sugar Bowl, keeps $ in LA.

N: Possible unfair advantage if LSU makes it; College venue with bleachers and limited suites; Will Baton Rouge be ready and viable for all the tourists?

Shreveport
Y: Decent little veneue, still in LA, bowl game experience.

N: Any room in Shreveport hotels for 2 bowls? If you're doing a college venue, LSU is much better option.

Liberty Bowl
Y: Nice town, bowl experienced, possible reward if Liberty Bowl signs with SEC

N: Actual stadium again is average college venue, with the Liberty Bowl game taking place on New Years Eve.

Texas Stadium
Y: Good venue comparable to Superdome; Nice city able to handle the crowds and accessibility

N: Too distant, again takes tax $ out of LA. Can same city handle 2 New Year's Day bowls?

Actually, I would throw Tuscaloosa ahead of Birmingham, since Legion Field has had part of its upper deck removed. Bryant-Denny now has a decided capacity advantage over Legion Field. Tuscaloosa lacks the hotel space Birmingham does, but then again, most of the fans in that area are used to staying in Birmingham or Mississippi for Alabama home games.

If Houston gets torn up by Hurricane Rita, El Paso or Oklahoma could come into play.

Actually, it was reported today that the Sugar Bowl will either be played in LSU's Stadium in Baton Rouge or in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2167057

Article on "SEC football coaches wary of ESPN's power" (Joe Biddle, Nov. 6, '05, Tennessean):

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051106/SPORTS11/5511060412/1043/SPORTS

My belated two cents worth (after inflation! :-[ ).

I always like the 3+1 approach. Same 4 bowls on a rotating basis. Fiesta 1 vs 4, Orange 2 vs 3, Rose a week later with winners of Fiesta and Orange, Sugar any 2 teams they want. Next year they rotate. If the Rose does not like this arrangement, the it becomes 2+1. ;)

Unfortunately, this would "start us down the slippery slope..." and "would deny access...(B.S. squared)."

The 1 through 4 would be determined by a formula, so ALL teams would THEORETICALLY have the same chance.

Of course I do understand about lead Zeppelins! ;)

FBfan

Subtle tweak

Keep the 4 games and BCS game as it is now, but... Have ALL the bowls agree to allow the two best teams under the BCS formula to go to the BCS bowl. Since the weaker bowls would not normally a a team that qualifies, they would not really be giving up anything. The catch would be that the 4 BCS bowls would lose the label, but would be able to schedule normally. The Rose could always take the PAC 10/Big 10 match up, although one of the 2 champs would sometimes be replaced by the second best team in their conference. The Rose would not have to take any team outside of those 2 conferences if they did not want to. The same thing would apply to the other 3 bowls.

FBfan