/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62667638/usa_today_10501637.0.jpg)
Bowl games are a big enough prize for football players. Not only do you get to spend more time practicing with your teammates, but you also get a trip somewhere nice to play a nice game of football. What could be better?
Well... Expensive gifts!
Each year, the NCAA allows bowl games and their sponsors to reward players with up to $550 in gifts ranging from electronics, to watches, to clothing, to the ever mysterious “prize suite.”
It should come as no surprise that some bowls hand out better gifts than others. Luckily for Washington State and Iowa State, the Alamo Bowl is one of the good ones. Sports Business Daily did the research to find out the gifts handed out by most bowls and here are the specifics for the Alamo Bowl:
- Team Panoramic Photo
- Mini Helmet
- Fossil Watch
- $425 Amazon gift card
The gift card is the real star of the show here. Everyone (especially a college kid) loves random electronics and clothing, but $425 at Amazon can go a whole lot further. Whether a player wanted a Nintendo Switch, books, essential groceries or 68 live Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches (with free shipping!), they can spend their money as their heart desires.
Here’s a full look at the prizes for bowl games across football. I’ll highlight some noteworthy gifts below.
- Personalized bobblehead of each player (Orange Bowl)
- Personalized life-sized Fathead decal (Quick Lane Bowl)
- PS4 package including controller and games (Fiesta Bowl)
- “Makers Wanted” Bahamas Bowl custom board shorts (Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl)
- Frito Lay Products (Arizona Bowl)
- Various New Era Products (The only item listed for the New Era Bowl)
- Branded fanny pack (Las Vegas Bowl)
The only crime here is that the Cheez-It Bowl gift package contains zero total Cheez-Its. What’s the point? At least you’ll get a nice cornhole set, though.
Football
Hot ticket? Iowa State up to 13,500 tickets sold for Alamo Bowl while Washington State reports 4,700 | The Spokesman-Review
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Cyclones still had a commanding lead on the Cougars in terms of how many tickets each program has sold to the Dec. 28 game in San Antonio, Texas (6 p.m. PT, ESPN).
Washington State Football: 2018 Team Awards
There’s no question that Washington State exceeded preseason expectations by a mile in 2018. The Cougars entered the season with major holes to fill...
Pac-12 bowl rankings: Rose Bowl stands tall against the rest of the Pac-12 bowl games - Pacific Takes
Ranking the Pac-12 bowls games for 2018-19 by which ones you need to watch the most.
Soccer
Minniss, Weaver, and Haro Named TopDrawerSoccer Top 100 - Washington State University Athletics
The trio were named among the best of the best in the country.