The Group Chat: Let's go bowling

With yesterday’s conference championships done and dusted, NCAA football fans now turn their attention to bowl season, one of the most unique postseasons in sports that grips the U.S. (and millions of Canadian fans) for all of December and much of January.

• The 12 teams chosen for the College Football Playoff (CFP) bracket during today’s selection show will compete for the national championship, but the contenders in the other 35 (!!!) bowl games? They’re in it for the ludicrous names, ridiculous gimmicks, and, of course, glory.

• People love NCAA football for its weirdness, from the bizarre rivalry trophies to the elaborate fan traditions, and bowl games perfectly capture that offbeat vibe. So today, we’re dishing on the more outlandish bowl game stunts of the season. Let’s roll bowl.

When it comes to bowl season, the Cotton, Orange, Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, and Peach Bowls (aka the New Year’s Six) receive much of the attention. Traditionally, they include the most elite teams, and playing in one was the mark of a great season. Since last year, they’re also part of the new-look CFP.

That leaves the other 35 bowl games to compete for the public’s attention…and they do it by being completely unhinged. What some bowl games lack in prestige, they make up for in entertainment, often underwritten by large companies that purchase naming rights and plan preposterous stunts. Here are our favorite bowl game gimmicks, ranked:

5. The Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl DJ

Like the Wasabi Fenway Bowl, this game takes place in a historic MLB arena: Yankee Stadium. And also like the Wasabi Fenway Bowl, the brand sponsor gives it a very strange name and character. Picture a DJ doing a set while standing on a lawnmower, some cheesy New York–style promos, and a ball pit for athletes to play in. Make it make sense.

4. The Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl Invasion

Yes, the brand sponsor makes this bowl name feel clunky, but more importantly, the Gasparilla Bowl is pirate-themed. And the host city of Tampa, Florida, really leans in to “the invasion”: Fans go all-out on their costumes, the end zone is a treasure map, and the trophy is a literal treasure chest. Pirate puns are jammed into every single available opportunity. Jack Sparrow would be proud.

3. The Duke’s Mayo Bowl mayo bath

Maybe skip this one if you have a weak stomach. The antics surrounding the Duke’s Mayo bowl are as weird as it gets, from the stomach-churning twist on the classic Gatorade bath to the Mayo Maniac fan corps to some truly historic yet horrific off-field moments. People get really, really passionate about this one (not Travis Kelce, though).

2. The Pop-Tart Bowl live Pop-Tart mascot sacrifice

The Pop-Tart sacrifice is one of the most infamous and bizarre traditions in sports. As part of the postgame trophy ceremony, college football’s first-ever edible mascot is lowered into a giant toaster at midfield to be “cooked.” When it comes back out, the winning team’s players get to eat it by the fistful. As absurd as it is haunting.

1. Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop

If you thought Snoop Dogg’s involvement in sports began with the LA Lakers and ended with the Olympics, you are sorely mistaken. The game is technically sponsored by his and Dr. Dre’s gin brand, but Snoop himself acts as host, assistant coach, band leader, play-by-play announcer, sideline reporter, trophy and chain awarder, etc. That’s how you drop it like it’s hot.