I learned something today.  I learned that players on a bowl team receive gifts from that bowl (Parts 2-4 are also up),

Maybe I'm woefully naive, but I did not know this.  I didn't know that the same league who will punish both player and team for a kid getting a car to use or free textbooks would turn a blind eye to corporate sponsers throwing gifts at them as a reward.

For example, our players will all receive the following:

Player Gift Package
Players from both teams will receive a custom ring from Jostens, a Fossil watch, and a Pure Digital Flip Mini Camcorder.

 

I don't know retail value, but this isn't cheap.  If a boster gave one of the players this, the NCAA would be throwing a fit.  I don't understand how they rationalize this being ok, but not other forms of compensation.