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The University of Mississippi Athletics
INSIDER: Rebel Bowl Significant In Many Ways
11/20/2008 | Football
By Thomas McKee
OleMissSports.com INSIDER
The drought appears to be over. After four years of sitting at home during the holidays, the Ole Miss Rebels are bowl eligible for the first time since their trip to the 2004 Cotton Bowl.
"That was one of our goals," first-year head coach Houston Nutt said. "It just helps everything. It rewards your players who have worked so hard and made a commitment."
This season expects to end only the Rebels' third bowl drought of four or more years since 1953 and marks a return to prominence for a tradition-rich program.
Ole Miss' 19 bowl victories is tied for 12th all-time in college football and the 31 appearances is tied for 17th. In fact, the Rebels once held the national record for consecutive bowl berths, from 1957 to 1972.
For coaches, a bowl game serves as a "reward" to the seniors as well as an opportunity for extra practice time with the underclassmen. However, the marketing implications reach far beyond that.
"The real value is the exposure and free advertising you receive," said John Hartwell, Ole Miss Senior Associate Athletics Director for Finance. "For the entire month of December, you're hearing watch this bowl featuring Ole Miss and whoever else.' You're going to see that over and over. The media exposure that the institution and team receives for the game itself and the full month is huge."
The extra, month-long exposure not only generates buzz about the University, but helps in a big way with recruiting. Coaches don't have to say as much to prospects, as the bowl appearance will speak for itself.
"There is nothing like practicing during that time in December and having recruits in for official visits," Nutt said. "It does so much. It's your school, it's your name that is being mentioned all the time. That's publicity that you just can't buy. It's very important."
Most all aspects of the bowl experience are different from any other game, which calls for extra planning behind the scenes to make sure everything runs smoothly.
"It's much different because you're going to be there a lot longer," said Hartwell. "It's over the holidays so the logistics of getting the players to the bowl site have to all be figured out."
On a regular-season SEC road trip, teams are allowed to bring 70 players. According to Hartwell, the entire roster is allowed to make the trip for bowl games, which in Ole Miss' case, could be somewhere over a hundred.
"It's a much more extensive travel party than a regular game," Hartwell said. "You have the full band, cheerleaders, athletics administrators and University officials that normally don't travel to away games."
One nice thing for Ole Miss staff members is that the bowl takes care of hotel arrangements, but meals and transportation are still the team's responsibility.
"The way that the league works, each school that participates in a bowl will be compensated for their expenses for the bowl," Hartwell said. "The rest of the money goes back into a pot that goes into the league's total distribution at the end of the year.
"Basically the proceeds you receive mostly cover the cost of going to the bowl transportation and lodging and bowl bonuses for the coaching staff."
Transportation is not only an issue of getting to the game and back, but for the entire time the team is there. The Rebels need adequate transportation to different events all around the city where the bowl is staged.
In addition to being involved in various functions leading up to the game, including parties, pep rallies, press conference and community projects, players and coaches also receive bowl gifts, which enhance the experience.
The value of the gift is limited to $500 per person by NCAA Rules, up from $350 a year ago. Gifts vary by bowl but are always first-class and a source of excitement for the players.
"The gifts and all of that are nice, but it's the weeklong experience and festivities that make the bowl experience truly special," said Hartwell.
This season could mark the first and only bowl for the Ole Miss seniors. While they might enjoy all of the perks that go along with a bowl appearance, I'm sure if you asked them, they would trade all of that for a victory in the game.
