It’s the most wonderful time of the year. No, not the holidays—the start of college football bowl season, a 35-game slate beginning Dec. 21 and stretching almost a week into the new year. And while the games should be killer, they’re nothing compared to the swag athletes will receive for participating.
Sure, the NCAA has had its share of hangups of late—especially where promotional products are concerned—but bowl season giveaways are one thing the organization gets right. Just look at some of this stuff.
Participants in the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman will get a Sony PlayStation 4, a hat and a backpack. Players in the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl will nab a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 tablet, Oakley sunglasses and more. And athletes competing in the Valero Alamo Bowl will receive an iPad Mini, an Apple gift card and a Fossil watch, among other gifts.
That’s an impressive spread, but even more impressive might be the “gift suites” given to players at 14 of the bowl games, including the BCS National Championship Game. The suites—private events where bowl participants are allowed to select gifts from an array of options—offer a number of big-ticket items, including high-end electronics and wearables from major brands using the events as test markets for new items.
Our pick for coolest gift-suite giveaway? A leather home-theater recliner with USB ports for powering electronics. (Working from home would never be the same.)
Check out the entire list here, and leave your pick for best giveaway in the comments.
