NCAA proposal would loosen protocol for conferences needing 5-7 teams to fill out bowl agreements

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Division I Football Bowl Subdivisions Oversight Committee has adopted a proposal that would loosen the constraints on conferences needing one or more of its 5-7 teams to play in bowl games.

Under the proposal, voted on Thursday, if all teams with at least a 6-6 record have been selected, a conference can pick any team that has a minimum multiyear Academic Progress Rate score of 930 to fill its bowl commitments.

The committee's action is not final until the Division I Cabinet reviews it in June.

Currently, if 5-7 teams need to be selected for a bowl, those teams become available in descending order of their multiyear Academic Progress Rate.

There was a scramble for 5-7 teams to fill open bowl spots last year when Iowa State, Kansas State and Notre Dame announced on bowl selection day that they would opt out. Mississippi State, Rice and Appalachian State accepted bowl bids with 5-7 records, but at least six 5-7 teams declined bids before matchups were finalized.

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