If you really want to know what the big men on campus crave these days, look no further than the thousands of goody bags handed out at this season’s college football bowl games.
This year, the goody bags will be stuffed with must-have electronics like iPods, portable DVDs, CD players and video games, a vast departure from the vintage jerseys, key chains and mini football helmets handed out in years past.
For organizers of the approximately two dozen college football bowl games each winter, the goody bags are aimed at keeping players happy and reflecting well on the host city – whose coffers reap the tens of millions of dollars spent over the game weekend.
The 30 college bowl games, which kick off this weekend, are big business – producing about $100 million to be distributed to colleges.
The goody bags, all but an afterthought years ago, are a key ingredient today, much like the goody bags handed out at the Academy Awards.
Each host committee is bombarded with corporate requests to include their product in the goody bags.
The NCAA limits players’ goody bags to $350, unlike the sky-is-the-limit bags handed out in Hollywood. But there is still plenty of room to impress – or disappoint.
Consider the plight of Rick Hill, vice president of marketing for the Alamo Bowl, to be played Wednesday in San Antonio.
Last year, Hill included a vintage football jersey in the goody bags handed out to 125 people from each school.
The players weren’t impressed.
“To say it went over like a lead balloon is being kind,” Hill said. “We tried to be a little too cutting edge and got killed.”
This year, Hill is going with a goody bag that includes a coat with the school and game logo on it, a watch, a fleece pullover, two video games and a sling bag.
Aside from electronics, players are also keen on getting quirky gifts.
One 300-plus pound lineman was overjoyed at getting a mini barbecue grill, saying it would allow him to cook food in his room after curfew.
In addition to setting the $350 value limit on each goody bag, the NCAA also bars players from selling their gifts or from getting cash.
That doesn’t stop some players from re-gifting items in their goody bags.
“We’re always talking about going to a good bowl game so we can get good gifts to give for Christmas,” said Georgia Tech defensive back Nathan Burton.
Burton’s team beat Syracuse on Tuesday in the Champs Sports Bowl.
With Post wire services
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Bowling for buzz
Smart marketers are building buzz by providing products for goody bags athletes receive for playing in college bowl games. A look at what’s in the bags:
Fiesta Bowl, Insight Bowl: iPod
Alamo Bowl: Watch
Fort Worth Bowl, Sugar Bowl: Portable DVD player