During Bowl Season there are a number of factors that bettors have always had to keep an eye on. Motivation, rest travel, which team's fan base would make the trip, what coaches would be on the sidelines and a slew of other things have always been important to making some money during bowl season.
This year, however, there is a new wrinkle in the sports bettors minds that might take precedence over all of that. That is opt outs. In the new world where NIL deals have affected the status of the sport of college football as much as anything we've ever witnessed, many students are opting out of their bowl games and transferring to other teams. Transfers are not the be all and end all for making a bet, but the information certainly needs to be a paramount concern for sports bettors this holiday season.
Some of the information that you can get will be a bit misleading though because some transfer portal players will still play in the game. Western Kentucky for example has 18 players in the transfer portal, but in the past some of those players have still decided to play in the game.
Opt outs have become so problematic that Marshall had to cancel their Independence Bowl game against Army because they won't be able to field a team. The Thundering Herd have already lost over 25 players to the transfer portal and none were expected to play.
The news of Marshall opting out came after coach Charles Huff left to take the vacant job at Southern Miss.
Missing coaches has always been a Bowl season issue for sports bettors.
This season West Virginia fired head coach Neal Brown and offensive coordinator Chad Scott will serve as the interim head coach for the bowl game. While Jacksonville State's head coach Rich Rodriguez will take that head coaching job at West Virginia. Rod Smith will serve as the interim for the bowl.
For UNLV their head coach Barry Odom took the Purdue job, which leaves Del Alexander as the interim head coach for the bowl game. They also will likely be without their offensive coordinator Brennan Marion.
Sam Houston lost their head coach for Temple. Their offensive coordinator Brad Cornelson will serve as the interim.
And in the most reported coaching change this off season North Carolina fired head coach Mack Brown, who will not be with the team for the Fenway Bowl and replaced him with Bill Belicick. Belichick will not coach the team for their bowl game though as tight ends coach Freddie Kitchens will serve as the interim head coach.