Seems like a dumb rule to me…
Georgia Southern won the Sun Belt Conference championship with a perfect 8-0 record in league games. Because it was in its inaugural season in the FBS, Georgia Southern (9-3) was not eligible for a bowl bid. The school asked for a waiver on the rule.
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11970027/ncaa-says-georgia-southern-play-bowl-year
