Gifting is at a record high with the introduction of college football playoff and annual bowl games.
The landscape of college football is changing with the inaugural year of the College Football Playoff (CFP). In addition to the CFP, there will be several new postseason games, including one outside the U.S., and all of this means that big bucks will be spent on gifting, and gifting suites during the bowl games. So the questions is how much money will be spent on gifts, and what will the participants be receiving? Let’s dive into the numbers behind the business of the CFP and Bowl games gifting suites.
By The Numbers
The committees that host the games reveal that at least $5.4 million will be spent this year on participant gifts which is up 11 percent versus gift expenditures a year ago. According the NCAA, it allows each bowl to award up to $550 worth of gifts to 125 participants per school. Additional gifts can, and usually are purchased by the schools so that they can distribute to participants beyond the 125 person limit.
Suite Life
Gifting suites usually take place in the bowl’s host city, with some executed on the participating college campus. The gifting suites are set up as private events prior to the game in which game participants and bowl VIPs are given an order form to select a gifts up to a value that is predetermined by each bowl.
The Gifts
Beats by Dre products are one of the top gifts ordered every year, with New Era cap, sony, Trek, and Xbox having the potential to be top giveaways due to availability in almost every gift suite.
Below is a list of 2014 Bowl Gifts to Participants
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Dec. 20, 11 a.m. (ESPN); New Orleans
Gift suite; Fossil watch
Gildan New Mexico Bowl
Dec. 20, 2:20 p.m. (ESPN); Albuquerque, N.M.
Gift suite; AudioSource Sound pop portable/mobile speaker; mobile phone charger and cord; Oakley Works backpack; Oakley Enduro sunglasses; Oakley fine knit beanie; cap; Gildan stadium blanket
Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl
Dec. 20, 3:30 p.m. (ABC); Las Vegas
Gift suite; Oakley Works backpack
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Dec. 20, 5:45 p.m. (ESPN); Boise, Idaho
Gift suite; Ogio backpack; winter coat; winter gloves; winter beanie; Big Game football
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
Dec. 20, 9:15 p.m. (ESPN); Montgomery, Ala.
Gift suite; Fossil watch; cap; souvenir pylon; football
Miami Beach Bowl
Dec. 22, 2 p.m. (ESPN); Miami
Under Armour sunglasses; Under Armour cap; Oakley Halifax backpack; electronics product
Boca Raton Bowl
Dec. 23, 6 p.m. (ESPN); Boca Raton, Fla.
Gift suite
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Dec. 23, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN); San Diego
$395 Best Buy gift card; Fossil watch; cap
Popeyes Bahamas Bowl
Dec. 24, Noon (ESPN); Nassau, Bahamas
Gift suite; Ogio Marshall Pack backpack; New Era 39Thirty cap
Hawaii Bowl
Dec. 24, 8 p.m. (ESPN); Honolulu
Gift suite; Oakley Holbrook sunglasses; Oakley Works backpack; Tori Richard aloha shirt; Pro Athletics T-shirt and shorts/swim trunks; beach towel
Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl
Dec. 26, 1 p.m. (ESPN); Dallas
Gift suite; Ogio Marshall Pack backpack; beanie; Big Game football
Quick Lane Bowl
Dec. 26, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN); Detroit
$250 Best Buy gift card; Sony headphones; custom-made Fathead for each player, with his likeness; various apparel; football
Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl
Dec. 26, 8 p.m. (ESPN); St. Petersburg, Fla.
Gift suite; Oakley Breadbox sunglasses; Oakley Works backpack
Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman
Dec. 27, 1 p.m. (ESPN); Annapolis, Md.
Microsoft Xbox One console; Under Armour backpack; Mighty Boom Ball speakers; beanie
Hyundai Sun Bowl
Dec. 27, 2 p.m. (CBS); El Paso, Texas
Gift suite; Timely Watch Co. watch; Ogio Politan backpack; Helen of Troy hair dryer; Majestic fleece pullover; Top of the World cap
Duck Commander Independence Bowl
Dec. 27, 3:30 p.m. (ABC); Shreveport, La.
Gift suite; Timely Watch Co. watch; New Era ski cap; football
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Dec. 27, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN); Bronx, N.Y.
Variety of New Era products
National University Holiday Bowl
Dec. 27, 8 p.m. (ESPN); San Diego
$445 Best Buy gift card and shopping trip; Fossil watch; cap
AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl
Dec. 29, 9 p.m. (ESPN); Houston
Gift suite; Adidas Team Speed duffel bag; cap; belt buckle
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Dec. 30, 3 p.m. (ESPN); Nashville
Gift suite; Fossil watch
Belk Bowl
Dec. 30, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN); Charlotte
Shopping trip to Belk department store; Fossil watch
Foster Farms Bowl
Dec. 30, 10 p.m. (ESPN); Santa Clara, Calif.
Gift suite; Fossil watch
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Dec. 31, 12:30 p.m. (ESPN); Atlanta
$300 Vanilla Visa gift card; Chick-fil-A gift card; Apple TV; Fossil watch; football
Vizio Fiesta Bowl
Dec. 31, 4 p.m. (ESPN); Glendale, Ariz.
Gift suite; Fossil watch; Ogio Rogue backpack
Capital One Orange Bowl
Dec. 31, 8 p.m. (ESPN); Miami Gardens, Fla.
Gift suite; Tourneau watch
Outback Bowl
Jan. 1, Noon (ESPN2); Tampa
$150 Best Buy gift card; Outback Steakhouse gift card; Fossil watch; Jostens ring; cap
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
Jan. 1, 12:30 p.m. (ESPN); Arlington, Texas
Information not available; bowl committee would not disclose
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl
Jan. 1, 1 p.m. (ABC); Orlando
$447 Best Buy gift card and shopping trip; watch; athletic performance shirt
Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual
Jan. 1, 5 p.m. (ESPN); Pasadena, Calif.
Gift suite; Fossil watch; Oakley Works backpack; New Era 59Fifty cap
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Jan. 1, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN); New Orleans
Gift suite; Fossil watch; New Era cap
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Jan. 2, Noon (ESPN); Fort Worth, Texas
Gift suite; Ogio Marshall Pack backpack; beanie; Big Game football
TaxSlayer Bowl
Jan. 2, 3:20 p.m. (ESPN); Jacksonville
Panasonic gift suite; Fossil watch
Valero Alamo Bowl
Jan. 2, 6:45 p.m. (ESPN); San Antonio
GoPro Hero4 Silver camera and 32GB memory card; Fossil watch; Oakley Works backpack; Schutt mini helmet; panoramic photo
TicketCity Cactus Bowl
Jan. 2, 10:15 p.m. (ESPN); Tempe, Ariz.
Gift suite; Fossil watch; Ogio Rogue backpack
Birmingham Bowl
Jan. 3, 1 p.m. (ESPN); Birmingham, Ala.
Gift suite; Oakley sunglasses; beanie; hooded sweatshirt; Big Game football
GoDaddy Bowl
Jan. 4, 9 p.m. (ESPN); Mobile, Ala.
Sol Republic Tracks Air wireless/bluetooth on-ear headphones; watch; Coleman chair; military style backpack; Wilson football
College Football Playoff National Championship Game presented by AT&T
Jan. 12, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN); Arlington, Texas
Information not available; bowl committee would not disclose
Daron Pressley (@daronpressley) is an entrepreneur and former Fortune 500 sales and marketing executive who has been featured on outlets including Fox45 News, Black Enterprise magazine, and The Washington Post. Knowledgeable in marketing and branding, Pressley works with professional athletes, organizations, and individuals to develop strategies to create, build, and grow brands. As a speaker Pressley has reached over 20,000 students. He provides dynamic insights on leadership and branding via his Website, DaronPressley.com