The MAC should pursue a backup tie-in to the Poinsettia Bowl

The Poinsettia Bowl is back, but unlike the first iteration, the MAC will not be part of it– at least for now.

The Poinsettia Bowl ran from 2005 to 2016, and the MAC participated in the bowl on three occasions. The game returns on December 28th, pitting one of the six new PAC-12 additions (Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State) against one of the 12 "legacy" PAC-12 members.

Earlier this month, Jon Wilner reported that the Poinsettia Bowl will have the fifth pick of the "legacy" PAC-12 members that are bowl eligible and the first choice of the new-look PAC-12. Oregon State and Washington State are included in the new-look PAC-12 pool.

Confused yet? You’re not the only one.

However, this is where the MAC can be proactive. There is a realistic scenario in which the Poinsettia Bowl will not be able to fill the "legacy" PAC-12 member slot. If two former PAC-12 members make the College Football Playoff, then five of the remaining eight members must reach bowl eligibility to ensure the "legacy" PAC-12 member slot gets filled.

Seven bowl-eligible schools out of a ten-team pool is a significant challenge. The fact the 10 schools from the PAC-12 pool are spread across three Power Four leagues amplifies this obstacle.

This is where the MAC comes in. The conference should build upon its past relationship with the Poinsettia Bowl to secure a backup tie-in in the event of a PAC-12 shortage. While it is not a guarantee, the MAC can position itself for a bowl game in a warm destination against a well-known Group of Six brand like Boise State or Fresno State.

Losing the GameAbove Sports Bowl limits the amount of marquee bowl opponents the MAC receives. While no one will mistake the PAC-12 for the Big Ten, its revitalized lineup is already one of the best in the Group of Six.

Additionally, a Poinsettia Bowl back up tie-in would give Sacramento State a nearby bowl destination. Tucson is 800 miles away, and the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl seems bound to use its flexibility as an ESPN-owned bowl to invite a Mountain West and a PAC-12 school.

These factors limit Sacramento State’s ability to profit from a bowl game. An agreement with the Poinsettia Bowl would be a win for both parties. The Poinsettia Bowl maintains its all-western matchup, while Sacramento State saves on bowl travel.

Perhaps most importantly, the conference can secure another appearance on The CW. In an age where ABC has consolidated over-the-air TV windows to most SEC games, an appearance on a network such as The CW is valuable for the conference’s visibility.

There is no better time to strengthen the relationship with the CW, especially with the MAC’s TV contract expiring in 2027. Even if the MAC somehow appears in the Poinsettia Bowl in 2026 or 2027 and gets The CW to sign on for a handful of games, it would be a massive victory for the conference. The MAC lags behind the American, PAC-12, and even Mountain West, which all have select conference-controlled games on broadcast television.

In the current wide-open bowl landscape, backup tie-ins have little utility most of the time. Nonetheless, other Group of Six conferences have still found ways to benefit from them in the last few years. The Sun Belt took advantage of Army, PAC-12, and Big 12 vacating their spots in the Independence Bowl to net three appearances in one of college football's most historic bowls. These appearances benefited the conference more than their other appearances in ESPN's more recently created bowl games.

A back-up tie in to the Poinsettia Bowl can have the same effect for the MAC. Even with Qualcomm/San Diego Credit Union Stadium long gone, San Diego remains one of college football's signature bowl destinations.

The MAC already has a history in the city, and can grow it significantly with a win over a well-known Group of Six brand. This is a low-risk, high-reward endeavor that the conference cannot let pass them by.