Rivalries, Bowl Eligibility, and Scheduling Effects in College Football

Abstract

This study analyzes how the importance of a game, or characteristics of the previous game, impacts college football games. The results show that rivalry games are harder to predict, and the strength of the previous opponent influences the outcome of the game. If a team’s previous game was close, this negatively influences the team. There is no evidence that the previous game’s location or a team’s bowl eligibility makes any difference. Given that universities control much of their football schedule and that the team’s success influences many aspects of the university, scheduling can impact the university’s finances.