<P> Bowl eligibility in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level is the standard through which teams become available for selection to participate in postseason bowl games . When a team achieves this state, it is described as "bowl - eligible". </P> <P> For nearly a century, bowl games were the purview of only the very best teams, but a steady proliferation of new bowl games required 70 participating teams by the 2010--11 bowl season, then 80 participating teams by the 2015--16 bowl season . As a result, the NCAA has steadily reduced the criteria for bowl eligibility, allowing teams with a non-winning (6--6) record in 2010, further reducing to allow teams with outright losing records (5 - 7) to be invited by 2012 . For the 2016--17 bowl season, 25% of the bowl participants (20 teams) did not have a winning record . </P> <P> Current regulations have also lowered the criteria to allow a team to include one win against teams in the lower FCS Division . </P>

How many games you have to win to be bowl eligible