Student Athletes Snag Great Swag at Bowl Games

One of the few times the NCAA allows student athletes to get a little something extra is during bowl season. Each bowl game’s host committee can provide up to 125 student athletes with gifts not to exceed $550 each. If a school is traveling a larger group of players it can purchase additional packages.

In the past, student athletes have received a variety of electronic and entertainment goodies from Beats by Dre headphones to iPad minis. Watches are also a popular bowl gift, and in recent years the “gift suite” has emerged where the student athletes are allowed to choose their own gift(s) up to the $550 limit from an impressive list of items.

SportsBusiness Journal is reporting today that this year many of the gift suites will offer, “Southern Motion’s Viva, a powered home theater recliner that has two USB ports that can charge mobile devices.”

Of course, you probably couldn’t buy a home theater recliner like this for $550 at retail, but bowl committees and the companies that power the gift suites are able to buy items at discount because they’re buying in bulk.

Here’s a sample of some of the swag bowls are giving out this year who don’t have the gift suite:

Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman

Maryland vs. Marshall

Sony Playstation 4; winter hat; Ogio backpack

BBVA Compass Bowl

Vanderbilt vs. Houston

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3; Fossil watch; Oakley sunglasses; ESPN hat; Big Game football

Russell Athletic Bowl

Louisville vs. Miami

$450 Best Buy gift card and shopping trip to Best Buy to spend; Timely Watch Co. watch; Russell Athletic workout shirt

SportsBusiness Journal has a full list of the gifts each bowl is offering here.

Kristi A. Dosh is an attorney and founder of BusinessofCollegeSports.com. Her latest book on the business of college football, Saturday Millionaires, is available now. Visit SaturdayMillionaires.com for retailers and a sneak peak at the first chapter! Follow her on Twitter: @SportsBizMiss.