Win Or Lose, Boston College's Bowl Game Is Worth Nearly $2 Million

Boston College is the underdog in Wednesday's bowl-game showdown with No. 25 Boise State. But whatever the scoreboard says at the end of the contest, the Eagles will be winners on the financial ledger.

Each team's appearance in the Servpro First Responder Bowl, win or lose, is worth $1.867 million, according to data compiled by USA Today.

The Atlantic Coast Conference will receive BC's share and divide it among the conference's 14 football members. But don't feel badly for BC; the Eagles will likely wind up with a larger payout, once the ACC's top teams add their bowl-game earnings to the conference's shared pool.

In the 2016 season, the most recent for which financial records are publicly available, the ACC collected $113.2 million from its schools' appearances in bowl games.

Bowl games accounted for a quarter of the conference's revenue — most of which the ACC spread among its members.

BC's cut was $26.5 million.

The ACC is positioned for another large haul this season, with schools such as Miami, Pittsburgh, Virginia and Syracuse playing in more lucrative bowls than Boston College.

Conference champion Clemson once again qualified for college football's four-team playoff. That achievement alone is worth $6 million for the ACC.

"If you're a BC fan, one of the big things you're cheering for every year is someone in your conference to make that national playoff championship," said Victor Matheson, a sports economist at the College of the Holy Cross. "By the virtue of Clemson being there — or by the virtue of other ACC teams making the big bowl games — that means extra millions of dollars into the conference."