Ranking The 2012-13 NCAA Bowl Gifts

‘Tis the season for corporate sponsors to legally hand out all the lavish gifts that players have been receiving from coaches and boosters illegally for years. Most of the time these gifts are more of a motivating factor for these guys than playing in front of 19,000 people in Shreveport in some nonsense bowl.

For some of these guys, this is their last shot at luxury. The select few that get drafted will get to keep living the dream, but for the back up lineman on Kent State and the special teamers on SMU this is likely their last run. This bowl season we are breaking down each and every gift and ranking it on a 1-5 star scale. Enjoy it while you’ve got it fellas.

Gildan New Mexico Bowl

Dec. 15, 1:00 pm, ESPN

• Match-Up: Arizona vs. Nevada
• Gift: Gift suite, Deuce Brand watch, Oakley Holbrook sunglasses, Oakley fine knit beanie cap, Oakley Flak Pack XL backpack, Gildan stadium blanket, quill pen
• Ranking: 

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Sat., Dec. 15, 4:30 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: Utah State vs. Toledo
• Gift: Gift suite, North End black winter coat, Kombi winter gloves, white Tiger Woods Victory Nike beanie, Ogio Bullion backpack, Big Game football
• Ranking: 

San Diego Co. Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl

Thurs., Dec. 20, 8 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: BYU vs. San Diego State
• Gift: Best Buy gift card, Tourneau watch, Maui Jim sunglasses gift certificate, cap
• Ranking: 

Beef ‘O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl

Fri., Dec. 21, 7:30 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: UCF vs. Ball State
• Gift: Jawbone Jambox, Oakley Dispatch II sunglasses, Oakley backpack, Schutt mini helmet
• Ranking: 

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

Sat., Dec. 22, Noon, ESPN

• Match-Up: East Carolina vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
• Gift: Beats by Dre headphones, Fossil watch, Oakley backpack
• Ranking: 

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl

Sat., Dec. 22, 3:30 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: Washington vs. Boise State
• Gift: Gift suite
• Ranking: 

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl

Mon., Dec. 24, 8 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: Fresno State vs. SMU
• Gift: Fossil watch, Oakley backpack, Tori Richard aloha shirts, custom beach towel, Pro Athletics shorts, T-shirt, performance T-shirt, hat/visor, calendar
• Ranking: 

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl

Wed., Dec. 26, 7:30 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky
• Gift: Timely watch, leather travel sports bag, football
• Ranking: 

Military Bowl

Thurs., Dec. 27, 3 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: Bowling Green vs. San Jose State
• Gift: Applie iPad Mini, Timely watch, beanie
• Ranking: 

Belk Bowl

Thurs., Dec. 27, 6:30 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: Duke vs. Cincinnati
• Gift: Shopping trip to Belk department store, Fossil watch
• Ranking: 

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl

Thurs., Dec. 27, 9:45 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: UCLA vs. Baylor
• Gift: Best Buy gift card, Tourneau watch, Maui Jim sunglasses gift certificate, cap
• Ranking: 

AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl

Fri., Dec. 28, 2 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: Ohio vs. ULM
• Gift: Gift suite, Timely watch, New Era cap, football
• Ranking: 

Russell Athletic Sports Bowl

Fri., Dec. 28, 5:30 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: Rutgers vs. Virginia Tech
• Gift: $420 shopping trip to a local Best Buy, Timely watch
• Ranking: 

Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl

Fri., Dec. 28, 9 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: Texas Tech vs. Minnesota
• Gift: Fossil watch, 32-inch flat-screen TV, belt buckle, T-shirt, lapel pin, backpack
• Ranking: 

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl

Sat., Dec. 29, 11:45 a.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: Rice vs. Air Force
• Gift: Sony gift suite, Fossil watch, Dakine backpack, Big Game football
• Ranking: 

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl

Sat., Dec. 29, 4 p.m., ESPN2

• Match-Up: Navy vs. Arizona State
• Gift: Fossil watch, Nike FuelBand, FoxL wireless portable speaker system, Nike backpack, cap
• Ranking: 

New Era Pinstripe Bowl

Sat., Dec. 29, 3:15 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: West Virginia vs. Syracuse
• Gift: Via Sports Business Daily: ‘Bowl committee would not disclose details about participants’ gifts, but last year’s gifts included a Sony video camera, Armitron watch, Balfour ring, New Era duffle bag, New Era caps, a winter hat, hoodie, sweatpants, thermal, polo and crew shirt.’
• Ranking: 

Valero Alamo Bowl

Sat., Dec. 29, 6:45 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: Oregon State vs. Texas
• Gift: Apple iPad Mini, Fossil watch, $100 Best Buy gift card, panoramic team photo, Schutt mini helmet
  
• Ranking: 

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl

Sat., Dec. 29, 10:15 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: TCU vs. Michigan State
• Gift: Gift suite presented by PAC Sports Division, Fossil watch, Ogio Mercur backpack
  
• Ranking: 

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl

Mon., Dec. 31, noon, ESPN

• Match-Up: Vanderbilt vs. NC State
• Gift: Gift suite, Fossil watch
  
• Ranking: 

Hyundai Sun Bowl

Mon., Dec. 31, 2 p.m., CBS

• Match-Up: Georgia Tech vs. USC
• Gift: Timely watch, Majestic fleece, Top of the World cap, coin, Helen of Troy hair dryer
  
• Ranking: 

AutoZone Liberty Bowl

Mon., Dec. 31, 3:30 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: Tulsa vs. Iowa State
• Gift: Sol Republic Tracks HD Anthem headphones, Bulova watch, Nike athletic shoes and sandals, Nike sunglasses, Nike backpack, football
  
• Ranking: 

Chick-fil-A Bowl

Mon., Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: Clemson vs. LSU
• Gift: $300 gift card, Fossil watch, Russell Athletic Chick-fil-A Bowl hat, Russell Athletic travel bag, Chick-fil-A gift card
  
• Ranking: 

Heart of Dallas Bowl

Tues., Jan. 1, noon, ESPNU

• Match-Up: Oklahoma State vs. Purdue
• Gift: Gift suite, full gift package not finalized
  
• Ranking:  (could improve upon announcement of full gift package)

TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl

Tues., Jan. 1, noon, ESPN2

• Match-Up: Northwestern vs. Mississippi State
• Gift: Fossil watch, Dome hat, Mercury garment bag and carry-on bag, Jostens ring, football
  
• Ranking: 

Capital One Bowl

Tues., Jan. 1, 1 p.m., ABC

• Match-Up: Georgia vs. Nebraska
• Gift: $420 shopping trip to a local Best Buy, Fossil watch
  
• Ranking: 

Outback Bowl

Tues., Jan. 1, 1 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: Michigan vs. South Carolina
• Gift: $150 Best Buy gift card, Fossil watch, ring, cap, Outback Steakhouse gift card
  
• Ranking: 

Rose Bowl

Tues., Jan. 1, 5 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: Wisconsin vs. Stanford
• Gift: Gift suite, Fossil watch, Oakley backpack, New Era Thirty9 Thirty cap
  
• Ranking: 

Discover Orange

Tues., Jan. 1, 8:30 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: Florida State vs. Northern Illinois
• Gift: Gift suite, Tourneau watch
  
• Ranking: 

Allstate Sugar Bowl

Wed. Jan. 2, 8:30 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: Florida vs. Louisville
• Gift: Gift suite, Fossil watch, New Era cap, Boxer & Stone hoodie
  
• Ranking: 

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl

Thurs., Jan. 3, 8:30 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: Kansas State vs. Oregon
• Gift: Gift suite presented by PAC Sports Division, Fossil watch, Ogio Mercur backpack
  
• Ranking: 

AT&T Cotton Bowl

Fri., Jan. 4, 8 p.m., Fox

• Match-Up: Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M
• Gift: Fossil watch (According to SBD: Bowl committee would not disclose additional details about participant gifts, but last year’s gifts included an iPad2 and a Fossil watch)
  
• Ranking: With iPad, without iPad

BBVA Compass Bowl

Sat., Jan. 5, 1 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: Ole Miss vs. Pittsburgh
• Gift: Fossil watch, Oakley Dispatch II sunglasses, wireless portable speaker, backpack, football
  
• Ranking: 

GoDaddy.com Bowl

Sun., Jan. 6, 9 p.m., ESPN

• Match-Up: Arkansas State vs. Kent State
• Gift: Sol Republic headphones, Fossil watch, leather garment bag, Wilson football
  
• Ranking: 

Discover BCS National Championship

Mon., Jan. 7, 8:30 p.m. ESPN

• Match-Up: Notre Dame vs. Alabama
• Gift: Gift suite, Tourneau watch
  
• Ranking:  (assuming it’s going to be an insane gift suite)

[h/t Sports Business Daily]

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