Gift Spending in the Millions for CFP, and College Bowl Games

Gift Spending in the Millions for CFP, and College Bowl Games


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


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