[Farm93]

Oh I think the Stanford team is working hard.  And the bowl game winner is normally the team that views the bowl as a good opportunity.  In that regard, I can\'t imagine that V-Tech is as excited or as eager as Stanford.  V-Tech has been to the Orange Bowl 3 of the last 4 years, so the suburban Miami thing has got to be getting old.  Advantage: Stanford

However, almost all programs in non-BCS NCG games see the game as a vehicle to future opportunities.  For the coaches, players, and player families the bowl MIGHT serve as a reward too, but for the program the bowl is a vehicle.

A vehicle to national exposure, a vehicle for future year season ticket sales, a vehicle for extra practice time, a vehicle for team building, a vehicle for better preseason positioning, a vehicle for recruiting, a vehicle for coach retention, etc.

And once viewed that way, it is easier to understand the bowl organizer motivations.  Everyone is using and abusing each other.  No one is really evil or pure.
The sponsors want cheap product placements on TV.
The bowls organizers want a highly rated show in front of a big audience.
The program wants to get bigger and stronger
And the conferences want money

A few disgruntled students, likely unwilling to pay big money, are not the worry of the powers in this BCS system.

[Farm93]

Oh I think the Stanford team is working hard.  And the bowl game winner is normally the team that views the bowl as a good opportunity.  In that regard, I can\'t imagine that V-Tech is as excited or as eager as Stanford.  V-Tech has been to the Orange Bowl 3 of the last 4 years, so the suburban Miami thing has got to be getting old.  Advantage: Stanford

However, almost all programs in non-BCS NCG games see the game as a vehicle to future opportunities.  For the coaches, players, and player families the bowl MIGHT serve as a reward too, but for the program the bowl is a vehicle.

A vehicle to national exposure, a vehicle for future year season ticket sales, a vehicle for extra practice time, a vehicle for team building, a vehicle for better preseason positioning, a vehicle for recruiting, a vehicle for coach retention, etc.

And once viewed that way, it is easier to understand the bowl organizer motivations.  Everyone is using and abusing each other.  No one is really evil or pure.
The sponsors want cheap product placements on TV.
The bowls organizers want a highly rated show in front of a big audience.
The program wants to get bigger and stronger
And the conferences want money

A few disgruntled students, likely unwilling to pay big money, are not the worry of the powers in this BCS system.