There are too many bowl games.
Simply put.
The Hawaii Bowl is the easiest sell by locale but the hardest by cost. Being in Hawaii is nice, but getting to Hawaii for a bowl on Christmas Eve is an exercise in financial self-mutilation. So when you read, “Nevada has only sold ten tickets to the Hawaii Bowl,” you have some degree of sympathy for Wolfpack fans.
No one cares about any of the bowls sans 2-3, but we can’t get a playoff?