Call me a rube or a pleb, but...

[Vitojr130]

What exactly is the purpose of our "bowl" games like the Harvest Bowl? I'm curious as to why they refer to it as a bowl game. Is there some sort of trophy handed out?

[gumby013]

What else are you going to call a game where you get a little tree besides the Trees Bowl?

[tony]

What exactly is the purpose of our "bowl" games like the Harvest Bowl? I'm curious as to why they refer to it as a bowl game. Is there some sort of trophy handed out?

Well, during the Harvest Bowl they honor people outstanding in the ag industry.

Trees Bowl is similar but focused on forestry rather than ag. Used to hand out trees as well. Do they still do that? NDSU is unstoppable in the Trees Bowl, btw. Plus, it's my annual excuse to use this image:

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6190/6127224094_bf9302f7dd_o.png

Hmm. Maybe I should change the sword into a tree.

[imabison]

What else are you going to call a game where you get a little tree besides the Trees Bowl?

Agree with Tony, but no where do you see NDSU call if a "Bowl game". They just call it the Havest Bowl, Tree Bowl etc by name..

[gumby013]

Agree with Tony, but no where do you see NDSU call if a "Bowl game". They just call it the Havest Bowl, Tree Bowl etc by name..

We could go the SWAC route and start calling them classics. Trick ESPN into picking them up for a national audience.

[tony]

I don't want to alarm anybody, but I looked at the schedule on gobison.com and don't see the Trees Bowl designation by any game.

[Vitojr130]

I don't want to alarm anybody, but I looked at the schedule on gobison.com and don't see the Trees Bowl designation by any game.

That was going to be my second point. What happened to the Trees Bowl?

[gumby013]

I don't want to alarm anybody, but I looked at the schedule on gobison.com and don't see the Trees Bowl designation by any game.

Everyone brings their own tree/ shrubbery.

[aces1180]

I don't want to alarm anybody, but I looked at the schedule on gobison.com and don't see the Trees Bowl designation by any game.

Ugh...That would be a bit disappointing, as I have a nice plot in the front of my home where I have planted the trees that were given away after the game. Let's hope they do it like last season and give them away at the first home game.

[LikeMothers]

Everyone brings their own tree/ shrubbery.

http://www.directorated.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/The_leader_of_the_Knights_Who_Say_Ni.jpg

[KSBisonFan]

Every week will be a Tree Bowl since we'll be laying the wood with Plank and Board.

[MAKBison]

11/9 Illinois State (Harvest Bowl)

[StL Bison Fan]

This is my first post. Signed up to sell extra tickets but stayed because I enjoy the humor and the info. This is actually a thread I know something about. The Trees Bowl sponsored by the ND Forest Service (part of NDSU) will be Oct 5. It's early yet so you will probably get your trees. They are grown for the game at the nursery in Towner. Earlier in the day they plant a tree on campus and they have awards for ten categories of tree planting people, organizations, or communities. You now know more than you ever needed to know and more than 99.9% of the people at the game. You have now left rube status behind...

[Hammersmith]

What exactly is the purpose of our "bowl" games like the Harvest Bowl? I'm curious as to why they refer to it as a bowl game. Is there some sort of trophy handed out?
To answer the original question, bowl games have been more about money than a trophy from the very beginning. In the early days, it was about cities wanting tourism money(still is to a high degree). One offshoot of the original postseason bowl game was designating a regular season game as a "bowl" game. In this case, the school receives money from some sponsor or group of sponsors in return for recognition before, during and after the game. NDSU has the Harvest Bowl, which is understandable for an ag college in an ag state. Several different ag groups contribute money to NDSU in part because of this. The Trees Bowl is because of money donated by the Forest Service. Nearby, UND has their Potato Bowl and SDSU has their Beef Bowl for the same reasons we have our bowl games. I did a quick search of similar schools and didn't find any other examples, but I don't know if that's because this use of the bowl term is limited to the Dakotas or if it's because I only searched for 10 minutes and didn't stumble across the right schools.

Also, I should be clear about how the money could work. It's not necessarily that the group comes to the school and says "if you name a game after us, we'll give you money." (although I suspect that's how the Trees Bowl started) It could also be a case of the school setting the stage for future donations. I could see the Harvest Bowl starting like this. NDSU comes up with the idea and creates an award that's presented at halftime. NDSU identifies a few individuals connected to money or influence. Maybe the head of a seed company or implement dealership. Maybe somebody in state or federal government connected to agriculture that has budget influence. Then you get the honorees on campus, wine and dine them, and prance them out in front of the crowd. A couple months later(or maybe even the same night), you gently prod them for donations to some kind of fundraising campaign. Maybe they give some money where they didn't before. Or maybe they give more than they did in the past. In any case, you hope to get far more money than what little it took to set up the game and award. It also helps if you can link kids or families into the day. SDSU's Beef Bowl is connected to 4-H. UND holds a french fry cookoff that's aimed at kids and families leading up to their Potato Bowl. I remember kids almost always down in the endzone during the Harvest Bowl, but I can't quite remember what organization they're part of. Are they also 4-H? In any case, it's always about money; immediate and future.



edit: I didn't realize the ND Forest Service was a part of NDSU. So I would now say the Trees Bowl is NDSU getting the word out to people that the Forest Service is important and to make sure it's remembered during budget discussions. It's still about money, just from a different perspective.

[StL Bison Fan]

At the Tree Bowl they will have a list of the award winners in the program and bring them out on the north end zone during halftime. They have a nomination form on the website. If you watch the boards at halftime of the Harvest Bowl they show each county's Agriculturist of the Year winner ( used to be Man of the Year) and one Ag Business winner. These are picked by the counties. Yea I know, no one sees this stuff at halftime and I can't believe I know this stuff.

[Tatanka]

This is my first post. Signed up to sell extra tickets but stayed because I enjoy the humor and the info. This is actually a thread I know something about. The Trees Bowl sponsored by the ND Forest Service (part of NDSU) will be Oct 5. It's early yet so you will probably get your trees. They are grown for the game at the nursery in Towner. Earlier in the day they plant a tree on campus and they have awards for ten categories of tree planting people, organizations, or communities. You now know more than you ever needed to know and more than 99.9% of the people at the game. You have now left rube status behind...




welcome STL... What part of the metro do you call home?





Sent from somewhere using my Win8 phone or something.

[Hammerhead]

One that looks Nice. And not too expensive.

http://bbsimg.ngfiles.com/10/3451000/ngbbs4168630da8a46.jpg


Everyone brings their own tree/ shrubbery.

[StL Bison Fan]

welcome STL... What part of the metro do you



Sent from somewhere using my Win8 phone or something.



Early years near University City, then moved to Bridgeton (Dad worked for Mac-Douglas). Pattonville grad

[Tatanka]

Early years near University City, then moved to Bridgeton (Dad worked for Mac-Douglas). Pattonville grad




awesome. I grew up in St Charles. Went to St Dominic...





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[StL Bison Fan]

awesome. I grew up in St Charles. Went to St Dominic...





Sent from somewhere using my Win8 phone or something.


I can see St Charles from my family's porch

[A1pigskin]

Everyone brings their own tree/ shrubbery.

Like a tree exchange.