469. The Story of Bowl Games and the New College Football Playoff

Steve Hogan is the CEO of Florida Citrus Sports which oversees both the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl and the Pop-Tarts Bowl (both played in Orlando, Florida). Both games are played at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium which recently received an allocation of $400 million for renovations. The NFL Pro Bowl is returning to Orlando for the sixth time in eight years, and there is talk about playing a potential home game for the Jacksonville Jaguars and/or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Hogan was instrumental in introducing the world to the first edible mascot at the Pop-Tarts Bowl in December. Named “Strawberry,” the mascot was the hit of Bowl Season and showed how bowls are working to market themselves in different ways. The Pop-Tarts Bowl was honored with the Best Brand Activation Award at the prestigious Sports Business Journal Awards in May. He is a thought leader in college football and can talk about the upcoming season with new looks in the SEC and Big Ten (Citrus Bowl conference staples).

The new 12-team College Football Playoff (CFP) starts this year, and there is fast momentum toward expanding to 14 teams soon (perhaps as early as 2026). It has been reported that the Rose Bowl is seeking to get out of the College Football Playoff semifinal rotation starting in 2026. Hogan addresses the state of the college football landscape as the 2024 season commences.

This episode begins with a small tribute to the New York radio station WCBS Newsradio 880 which went off the air on August 25, 2024.