For 11 months out of the year, the NCAA prohibits its athletes from accepting gifts. But come bowl season the rules regarding impermissible extra benefits go out the window — allowing bowl committees to lavish football players with gifts ranging from electronics to clothing to — as in the case of Cal and TCU at the Cheez-It Bowl in Phoenix — a cornhole set.
Each bowl can award up to $550 worth of gifts to as many as 125 participants from each school. But sorry, Wake Forest, just because your bowl is sponsored by Jared doesn’t mean you get jewelry.
As for the impermissible extra benefits — er, bowl swag — teams actually will be taken home by football players from state teams this year, here’s the rundown, courtesy of Street & Smith’s Sports Business Daily:
Appalachian State (R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl vs. Middle Tennessee State, Dec. 15, New Orleans): Gift suite, Fossil watch.
NC A&T (Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl vs. Alcorn State, Dec. 15, Atlanta): Gift suite, Ogio backpack, beanie, selfie stick.
Wake Forest (Jared Birmingham Bowl vs,. Memphis, Dec. 22, Birmingham, Ala.): Gift suite, Oakley backpack or sunglasses, cooling hoodie, football.
Duke (Walk-ons Independence Bowl vs. Temple, Dec. 27, Shreveport, La.): Gift suite, Timely Watch Co. watch, New Era skull cap, football.
NC State (TaxSlayer Gator Bowl vs. Texas A&M, Dec. 31, Jacksonville, Fla.): Fossil watch, Maui Jim sunglasses, Amazon Echo, ISlides, SIC tumbler, dropp kit.
