Cal Confirms Win vs. Grambling Will Count Toward Bowl Eligibility

The NCAA is running into problems finding enough bowl-eligible teams for each and every one of the 40 bowl games ahead in the coming weeks. The California Golden Bears are doing their part to ease the NCAA's burden.

According to USA Today's Steve Berkowitz, Cal was asking the NCAA Football Oversight Committee to count its 73-14 victory over Grambling State toward the win total necessary for bowl eligibility. Berkowitz explained why the Golden Bears may needed the NCAA to make an exception in this case:

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Under NCAA rules, FBS schools generally can count one win against an FCS team per season toward the six needed for bowl eligibility. However, for the game to count without a waiver, the FCS school needs to have awarded — on average — at least 90% of the 63 scholarships allowed under FCS rules during a rolling two-year period.

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Grambling officials have not yet determined whether that was the case, [Cal athletics spokesman Wes Mallette] said.

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On Wednesday, Jon Wilner of the Mercury News reported the win vs. Grambling will count.

The Golden Bears have one more game left in the season. They play Arizona State on Saturday, and a win over the Sun Devils would give Cal the adequate number of victories to qualify for bowl season.

According to CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd, only 71 teams meet bowl qualifications heading into Week 13, leaving nine spots open. Considering more than half of the FBS teams reach bowl games, it only makes sense the supply would fail to meet the demand.

College football fans love watching more college football, but bowl season may have grown to an extent it dilutes the on-field product. Bowl games featuring 5-7 or even 6-6 teams aren't going to draw a ton of national interest.   

At least in the case of Cal, one more game will allow fans to get what is likely the last look at quarterback Jared Goff—whom many expect to leave college early and enter the 2016 NFL draft—at the college level.