<P> For nearly a century , bowl games were the purview of only the very best teams , but a steady proliferation of new bowl games required 70 participating teams by the 2010 -- 11 bowl season , then 80 participating teams by the 2015 -- 16 bowl season . As a result , the NCAA has steadily reduced the criteria for bowl eligibility , allowing teams with a non-winning ( 6 -- 6 ) record in 2010 , further reducing to allow teams with outright losing records ( 5 - 7 ) to be invited by 2012 . For the 2016 -- 17 bowl season , 25 % of the bowl participants ( 20 teams ) did not have a winning record . </P>
<P> For nearly a century , bowl games were the purview of only the very best teams , but a steady proliferation of new bowl games required 70 participating teams by the 2010 -- 11 bowl season , then 80 participating teams by the 2015 -- 16 bowl season . As a result , the NCAA has steadily reduced the criteria for bowl eligibility , allowing teams with a non-winning ( 6 -- 6 ) record in 2010 , further reducing to allow teams with outright losing records ( 5 - 7 ) to be invited by 2012 . For the 2016 -- 17 bowl season , 25 % of the bowl participants ( 20 teams ) did not have a winning record . </P>
how many games you have to win to be bowl eligible
how many games you have to win to be bowl eligible
( 5 - 7 )
( 5 - 7 )