Six wins is what it takes to be bowl-eligible. But now, a five-win team can fit in. The Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee voted Thursday to adopt a proposal that changes how bowl spots are filled when there aren’t enough “deserving” teams.
“Under the proposal, if all deserving teams have been selected for bowl games and all schools who meet an exception other than the exception for 5-7 teams have been selected, a conference that has an unfulfilled bowl commitment can choose which of its 5-7 teams will participate in that bowl,” the NCAA wrote.
If there aren’t enough 6-6 teams to fill every bowl slot, conferences could now decide which of their own 5-7 teams gets the call. But for that, that team should meet the NCAA’s minimum 930 Academic Progress Rate requirement.
Earlier, the selection was automatic as the team with the best APR gets the favor. This proposal changes that completely. Now, conferences would get flexibility. They can strategically choose the team that makes the most financial, television, and branding sense.
The NCAA’s football oversight committee voted to adopt a proposal that allows conferences the flexibility to choose a 5-7 team that has met certain academic standards to fill bowl game opportunities if there aren’t enough other deserving teams. https://t.co/VKUbUeEboi
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) May 8, 2026
Bowl games are more than just about merit as they’re also TV inventory and sponsorship packages. And the NCAA is finally adjusting the rules to keep up with reality. As Bowl Season executive director Nick Carparelli observed, there were 41 FBS bowl games last year. Six of them are CFP bowls. So that means 70 teams participated in non-playoff bowls. But among those, only three teams with losing records played.
Iowa State, Kansas State, and Notre Dame all opted out on bowl selection day. Mississippi State, Rice, and Appalachian State accepted bids at 5-7, while at least six other 5-7 teams declined opportunities before the matchups were finalized.
As you see, bowl season already struggles filling slots because roster depletion, opt-outs, transfer portal movement, and coaching changes have changed the system. Some teams barely want to play these games anymore unless the destination or payout feels worthwhile. So the NCAA is letting the conferences handle it themselves.
The 5-7 bowl team discussion started back in March when the oversight committee reviewed several major recommendations potentially taking effect in 2026. But the bowl proposal is the one fans noticed because it directly impacts who gets postseason life support. And it could help teams like Colorado.
Colorado could benefit from the bowl proposal
Deion Sanders and Colorado are living proof that bowl desperation is real. The Buffs own one of the most embarrassing postseason realities in major college football. They are the only Power Four program without a bowl win since the CFP era began in 2014. The losing streak goes back to the 2004 Houston Bowl against UTEP. Since then, Colorado has lost five straight bowl appearances, including Oklahoma State in 2016, Texas in 2020, and BYU in 2024.
Under Deion Sanders, Colorado went from 4-8 in 2023 to a surprising nine-win in 2024 led by Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. Then after losing its stars to the NFL, Colorado sank to 3-9 in 2025 with just one conference win.
“This is not who we are,” Sanders admitted later. “We’re better than this and [Colorado fans] deserve better than this. I want better than this. I feel like I coach better than this.”
