MEMO
FROM: All Network Sports Television Executives
TO: All Colleges and Universities participating in Bowl Games in 2012 and 2013
SUBJECT: Bowl Games
It has been brought to our attention by our accounting department that many previous bowl games have been boring, uneventful,unattended and financially not profitable for all concerned. For those and other reasons, we are asking all 68 teams to strive to keep the games as close as possible through the third (03rd) quarter. All network executives would be exceedingly appreciative if all games were tied at the end of the third (03rd) quarter.
The monetary rewards that your school (conference) will receive remains the same regardless of the competitiveness and outcome of the game, but advertisers have complained that viewership has declined greatly, on some occasions, at halftime due to lopsided scores and teams being greatly outplayed by their opponents.
Realistically, the games have no importance, they are, after all, created solely for the benefit of creating "television revenue," and filling dead air time during a previously slow season.
So, please, to appease our advertising family, please keep the games as close as possible. Look at the game as Three Quarters for Advertisers and one quarter for the team, the fans, and the school, and whatever minuscule benefits are derived by emerging victorious over a much lesser opponent. After all, in most cases you are receiving a nice vacation in a highly desirable climate.
In future years we hope to expand the number of games to include every collegiate college program in the country, and by 2015 it is our goal to include high school teams in some selected areas, i.e. Texas and Florida.
Remember, this is "show business," ratings, and audience, save the athletics and heroics for your regularly scheduled games.
Please take this memo as a "suggestion" and not as a threat in any way, keeping in mind that it is we who determine who goes to many bowl games, and therefore who is part of the multi million dollar payday.
Wishing you all the best of luck in the "fourth quarter."
