Bowl goodies

This is the time of year when everybody purist about college football goes crazy over the $500 worth of bling they're allowed during bowl week.

Last year, gift lounges were in vogue. This year, maybe Oakley Thump MP3 sunglasses.

This isn't a sky's-the-limit, open-checkbook deal. The NCAA has guidelines, of course. Gifts from bowl sponsors can't exceed $500. Players also receive bowl-game gifts from the school that can't exceed $350. The Big Ten also can award gifts up to $350.

This isn't a bad Christmas.

Bowl games don't want to lose their NCAA certification, so cash, obviously, and gift certificates are out. Iowa and Big Ten officials bring up the gift guidelines every year.

Here's a link to a piece on this year's bowl grab from the Sports Business Journal. Here's the chart to what all the bowls are handing out this season from the SBJ.

The Hawkeyes get a trip to a Sony gift suite ($300 in total value, with delivery to the players' addresses of choice), a Tourneau Insight bowl watch, an Insight Bowl cap and an Ogio Cooper backpack.

These guys really seem to dig big, bad headphones. Happy hunting, fellas.