NCAA announces criteria for 5-7 bowl teams
The NCAA finally settled on its policy for 5-7 bowl teams.
It won’t be Power Five, it won’t be geography and it won’t be strength of wins. It’ll be Academic Progress Rate that determines whether or not five-win teams get to play in a bowl game, the NCAA announced.
Without enough 6-6 teams, remaining bowl bids will be filled by 5-7 teams based on highest Academic Progress Rate. pic.twitter.com/D5iuQKkuqr
— NCAA Football (@NCAAFootball) November 30, 2015
Because of the fact that at least two 5-7 teams — and as many as five — will earn bowl bids, that guarantees that Nebraska will get a bowl bid because of where it sits in APR.
985 — Nebraska (5-7)
976 — Missouri (5-7)
976 — Kansas State (5-6)
975 — Minnesota (5-7)
975 — San Jose State (5-7)
973 — Illinois (5-7)
973 — Rice (5-7)
That’s also good news for Illinois and Minnesota, both of whom are at No. 4 and No. 6 in APR. But Missouri already declined its automatic bid, so Minnesota will guarantee a bowl bid if either Georgia State or South Alabama lose.
Illinois, which would need Georgia State and South Alabama — both underdogs — to lose.
Nebraska beat reporter Sean Callahan did report what Nebraska would do if and when it’s presented a bowl bid.
A Nebraska spokesperson confirmed to me "if eligible and selected, Nebraska would accept a bowl bid." #Huskers
— Sean Callahan (@Sean_Callahan) November 30, 2015
According to ESPN’s Brett McMurphy, Minnesota would also accept a bid. But Illinois has not determined what it would do if it got the opportunity.
5-7 teams Nebraska, Kansas State, Minnesota, San Jose State & Rice would all accept a bowl bid. Illinois is undecided
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 30, 2015