Friday, December 16, 2005

Bowl Bonuses

The gifts that Bowl games are giving out to players are getting better and better each year. This year Bowls are allowed to dish out $500 in presents per player, up from $350 last year.

Portable DVD players, customized mountain bikes, designer sunglasses and watches – many of the bowls have spared no expense in going Oprah on the gift giving. The quick math: Each bowl must provide 125 gift packages per team. For those that reached the $500 limit, that amounts to $125,000 in bowl goodies.
Check out the players' gift packages for every bowl game this season.

New Orleans Bowl
Arkansas State vs. Southern Miss
Dec. 20, 8 p.m., ESPN
Gift package:
• New Orleans Bowl Championship ring
• New Orleans Bowl Championship watch

GMAC Bowl
UTEP vs. Toledo
Dec. 21, 8 p.m., ESPN
Gift package:
• Luggage
• Commemorative football
• Commemorative watch
• Attaché case

Las Vegas Bowl
BYU vs. CaliforniaDec. 22, 8 p.m., ESPN
Gift package:
• iPod Nano
• Oakley watch
• Commemorative shirt and hat
• 1-year subscription to ESPN The Magazine
• Tickets to see Blue Man Group

Poinsettia Bowl
Colorado State vs. Navy
Dec. 22, 10:30 p.m., ESPN2
Gift package:
• 4 GB iPod Mini
• $15 music gift certificate
• Fossil watch
• Commemorative sweatshirt, t-shirt and hat

Fort Worth Bowl
Kansas vs. Houston
Dec. 23, 8 p.m., ESPN
Gift package:
• 7-inch portable DVD player
• Backpack and watch
• Commemorative workout shirt and football

Hawaii Bowl
Nevada vs. UCF
Dec. 24, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
Gift package:
• Oakley sunglasses
• Sports jacket and backpack
• Disposable camera, sandals, beach towel and lei
• Aloha shirt, plus two more shirts

Motor City Bowl
Memphis vs. Akron
Dec. 26, 4 p.m., ESPN
Gift package:
• Commemorative watch
• Commemorative football
• Luggage

Champs Sports Bowl
Clemson vs. Colorado
Dec. 27, 5 p.m., ESPN
Gift package:
• Sony camcorder
• Sports watch
• Bowl beach towel and hat

Insight Bowl
Arizona State vs. Rutgers
Dec. 27, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
Gift package:
• Sony PSP
• Bulova watch
• Commemorative football, fleece blanket, hat

MPC Computers Bowl
Boise State vs. Boston College
Dec. 28, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Gift package:
• Digital camcorder
• Various commemorative gear

Emerald Bowl
Georgia Tech vs. Utah
Dec. 29, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Gift package:
• 7-inch portable DVD player
• Fossil watch
• Personalized football
• Commemorative football and hat

Holiday Bowl
Oregon vs. Oklahoma
Dec. 29, 8:00 p.m., ESPN
Gift package:
• 30GB iPod with video
• $15 music gift certificate
• iPod car adaptor
• Commemorative sweatshirt and hat

Music City Bowl
Minnesota vs. Virginia
Dec. 30, 12 p.m., ESPN
Gift package:
• 7-inch portable DVD player
• Swiss army watch
• Personalized football
• Sweatshirt and equipment bag

Sun Bowl
Northwestern vs. UCLA
Dec. 30, 2:00 p.m., CBS
Gift package:
• Sony PSP with Madden NFL 2006
• Silvertone watch
• Armor Gear Sports duffel bag
• Suede leather jacket
• Vitalis knit cap and hair dryer

Independence Bowl
South Carolina vs. Missouri
Dec. 30, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Gift package:
• Fossil watch
• Large leather duffel bag
• Commemorative hat and football
• Mini football helmet

Peach Bowl
Miami vs. LSU
Dec. 30, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Gift package:
• Peach Bowl windshirt
• Commemorative football and watch
• The book Wild at Heart by John Etheridge
• XBox and XBox game pack

Meineke Car Care Bowl
South Florida vs. N.C. State
Dec. 31, 11:00 a.m., ESPN2
Gift package:
• Rolling duffel bag
• 8-inch portable DVD player
• Personalized football
• Commemorative Fossil wallet and watch gift set

Liberty Bowl
Tulsa vs. Fresno State
Dec. 31, 1:00 p.m., ESPN
Gift package:
• NIKE wind jacket and sweatpants
• Portable DVD player
• Commemorative football and watch
• Leather travel bag

Houston Bowl
TCU vs. Iowa State
Dec. 31, 2:30 a.m., ESPN2
Gift package:
• Digital camera
• Fossil watch
• Commemorative football

Cotton Bowl
Alabama vs. Texas Tech
Jan. 2, 11:00 p.m., FOX
Gift package:
• Commemorative watch
• Mp3 player
• Portable DVD player
• Luggage

Outback Bowl
Florida vs. Iowa
Jan. 2, 11:00 a.m., ESPN
Gift package:
• Sony mini digital camcorder
• Commemorative backpack

Gator Bowl
Louisville vs. Virginia Tech
Jan. 2, 12:30 p.m., NBC
Gift package:
• Toyota Gator Bowl ring
• Commemorative watch
• Commemorative baseball cap
• Duffel bag

Capital One Bowl
Wisconsin vs. Auburn
Jan. 2, 1:00 p.m., ABC
Gift package:
• Medallion Quartz watch with bowl logo
• Sony camcorder
• Commemorative beach towel

Fiesta Bowl
Ohio State vs. Notre Dame
Jan. 2, 4:30 p.m., ABC
Gift package:
• Sony PSP
• Bulova men's watch
• Commemorative football
• Fiesta Bowl dart board and snack-filled duffel bag

Sugar Bowl
West Virginia vs. Georgia
Jan. 2, 8:30 p.m., ABC
Gift package:
• Men's Fossil watch/sunglasses set
• Samsung Mp3 player
• Customized Trek mountain bike
• Commemorative hat

Orange Bowl
Penn State vs. Florida State
Jan. 3, 8:00 p.m., ABC
Gift package:
• Sony PSP
• Madden NFL 2006 and NBA Live 2006
• Ogio duffel bag
• Commemorative hat and team plaque
• Friday Night Lights DVD
• ESPN The Magazine subscription

Rose Bowl
Texas vs. USC
Jan. 4, 8:00 p.m., ABC
Gift package:
• Sony PSP
• Madden NFL 2006
• Rose Bowl watch and backpack
• New Era hat and knapsack
• Commemorative Rose Bowl flip coin
• Rose Bowl souvenir football
• The Longest Yard DVD