BYU finished the regular season at 10-2, with a conference record of 7-2. That was tied for the best mark in the Big 12, but they lost out on the conference title game via tiebreakers.
Still, the landing spot for the Cougars became the Alamo Bowl, which is largely considered one of the best non-NY6, now non-CFP bracket bowl games around. Its also the top bowl game among Big 12 teams who did not make the College Football Playoff. They had first pick, and chose BYU over Iowa State, who played in the Big 12 title game against CFP-bound Arizona State.
According to BusinessofCollegeSports.com, the Alamo Bowl currently has the highest bowl payout of any bowl not associated with the College Football Playoff, at $8,252,740. That slightly edges out the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, who stands at $8,224,578.
Most BYU fans will immediately point to the Cotton Bowl following the 1996 season as the program’s most prestigious bowl game. They would be right, in most respects. The most prestigious bowls are always played either on or right around New Year’s Day. To this day, that is the only bowl game BYU has ever played on New Year’s Day.
When taking only into consideration the bowl payout amount, the Alamo Bowl actually beats out the Cotton Bowl.
The 1997 Cotton Bowl against Kansas State had a payout of $2 million. Adjusting for inflation using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics calculator, that would be the same as 3,965,971 today. That is short of half of the payout the Alamo Bowl offers.
The Holiday Bowls of the 1980s had payouts ranging from $1 million to $2.3 million, adjusting for today’s inflation.
This means the Alamo Bowl gives BYU the largest bowl payout in program history.
Of course, more goes into calling a bowl “prestigious” than simply a payout or the date on the calendar. The context of the actual game matters as well. What were the stakes?
For the Holiday Bowl in 1984, BYU had a national championship on the line. It doesn’t get more prestigious than that. In the Cotton Bowl following the 1996 season, BYU was looking for an unheard-of 14th victory.
The 2024 Alamo Bowl may not have those kinds of stakes, but it doesn’t make it meaningless. BYU is looking for its 11th win, which would match its total from 2020. That would be just the second time BYU reached 11 wins in 15 years.
Colorado is aiming for its first 10-win season since 2016 and just the second since 2001.
Both the Cougars and Buffaloes finished tied at 7-2 in conference play, while being the first two to fall short of the Big 12 Championship Game.
Another factor in prestige could be TV ratings. This bowl game should bring in big numbers. First, it’s one of just three non-CFP bowl games between two ranked teams. Last season, the Alamo Bowl was the fourth-highest rated game on TV among all non-CFP bowls.
This year’s version brings a lot of juice. Deion Sanders, Colorado’s head coach, is a one-man media tornado. The Pro Football Hall of Famer has the national media hanging on every word at any press conference or interview. In almost every week this season, Colorado played in the Big 12’s highest-rated game.
Not to mention, the Heisman Trophy winner, two-way star Travis Hunter, is set to play his final game as a college football player. BYU has never played against that season’s Heisman winner in a bowl game, after the award had become official.
Hunter is very likely a top five pick in waiting in next spring’s draft. He might not even be the only top five pick playing for Colorado against BYU.
Also likely making his final audition in a college football game before the NFL Draft is quarterback, and Deion’s son, Shedeur Sanders. He appears to be near a lock as the top quarterback in the draft. He and Hunter could even go one-two in the draft.
The fact that those two are playing together one last time in college before becoming top five picks should bring tons of eyeballs to the Alamo Bowl.
BYU isn’t exactly ratings-averse either. BYU’s Week 14 matchup against Houston out-drew Florida/Florida State. The Holy War, on November 2, was the ninth-highest rated game that weekend around college football. It garnered more viewers than Iowa/UCLA, Mississippi State/Tennessee, and Clemson/Virginia Tech.
Thanks to BYU’s affiliation with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and its over 17 million members around the world, there is a natural national draw for BYU in all corners of the country. Especially in Texas.
Make no mistake, there will be tens of thousands of BYU fans in attendance at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
Given this is the highest bowl payout in BYU history, along with playing against a media darling in Colorado, featuring a Hall of Fame head coach, two future top five picks, and the Heisman winner, this is one of the most prestigious bowl games BYU has ever played in,
The next step is, as they did in the most prestigious bowl in program in history in the 1997 Cotton Bowl, to win the game.
