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Bowls doled out $500 million in 2014, $200 million more than 2013

Consider this Reason No. 1,278 that the “playoffs will kill off the bowls” argument is as asinine now as it was when it served as the straw men’s go-to move.

According to Ralph Russo of the Associated Press, the 39 bowl games for the 2014-15 college football season paid out $505.9 million to FBS conferences and its members. The previous bowl cycle, 35 bowl games paid out “just” $309.9 million.

Not surprisingly, the College Football Playoffs and the other New Year’s Six bowl games (this year the Orange, Cotton, Peach and Fiesta) played a significant role in the substantial increase in the monies distributed. From Russo’s report:

ESPN pays the FBS conferences and schools that run the College Football Playoff about $470 million a year for the media rights to the three playoff games and four other bowls. The final BCS TV deal was worth about $180 million per year to the conferences.

The half-billion figure will only continue to move northward thanks to a pair of developments. One, the CFP’s deal with ESPN will increase in value every year through the final 11 years of the initial agreement. Secondly, there’s the possibility that four new bowl games will be added, bringing the number of postseason matchups to, counting the title game, potentially 43.

Yes sir, the playoffs certainly have the bowls shaking in their collective boots.