Congratulations to the MSU football team for clinching its bowl eligibility and giving the seniors one last game to play as Spartans. Its great to see the teams work finally pay off.
But while its great the Spartans can go on to a postseason bowl game, its important to consider the drawbacks of the green and white heading to the Silicon Valley Classic.
A trip to the Silicon Valley Bowl is expensive. Airfare to California is quite pricey for fans to make the trip from Michigan. The distance almost ensures only the most dedicated - or wealthy - fans will come to the game. And if fans dont come, there will be unsold tickets and lost revenue.
Like the Spartans trip to the Aloha Bowl in 1997, MSU stands to spend a lot of money to make the trip to California - but for a more mediocre experience. Back then, the university lost $310,000 after expenses and paying the Aloha Bowl for the about 8,000 tickets left unsold.
If the university looked at the situation from an economic standpoint, we wouldnt be going to California for New Years Eve. But officials arent thinking with their pocketbooks, theyre thinking with their pride.
And what a sense of pride it is - it should be hurt we arent going somewhere better. Two other Big Ten teams, both with the same 6-5 record, are going to better bowls. Purdue will go up against Washington State in the Sun Bowl and Iowa is matched up against the Big 12 No. 4 slot in the Alamo Bowl.
This should tell us a little something about what the university needs to do for the football program, and its not just about winning more games, although that certainly wouldnt hurt.
The bowl system has lost a lot of its prestige anyway. There are 25 bowl games being played this holiday season, with names ranging from the Visit Florida Tangerine Bowl and the Insight.com Bowl.
Every mediocre team that wins six games shouldnt expect to go to a bowl game. The experience of going to a bowl might be nice, but taking the trip for the sole purpose of taking a trip cheapens the experience.
All told, the MSU Athletics Department needs to work harder to get the team a better exit point to its season. With more athletic clout, the Spartans could have made a better argument for Purdues or Iowas spot in the more prestigious bowl game our players deserve, and created a brighter high point for the season.
Instead, theyre settling for a young bowl - this will be the second time its ever played - all the way across the country that few will see and fewer will want to attend.
Officials should take care in the future to not get caught up in the heady thrill of victory and weigh their options carefully before deciding on postseason plans.