Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

I don't even know who paid to build the RB.  Pasadena?  LA?  San Diego?  Bill Gates?

I dunno William Randolph Hearst, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, Alphonse Capone, Drew maybe

The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.

blame them for the death of college football

Yup.  Rose Bowl and all other bowls exist solely because of corporatization of the sport, exploiting the pure game of college football for profit.

the only reason I wanted a very limited playoff - such as a plus 1 after the bowls was for seasons like 94 PSU and UNL both undefeated and 97 Mich & UNL undefeated.

Otherwise I really liked that #4 might have a chance if #2 and #3 lost their bowl and #4 was playing #1

The bowls only existed due to corporate sponsorship.  Long before the corporate names went onto the bowl game logos (or replaced the bowl's name altogether), the dudes in ugly multicolored jackets were making deals in smoke-filled backrooms.  Fans and teams got a trip and a reward, sure, but only because of the corporate money that underwrote the entire thing.

I thought in the 60s it was TV revenue and a bit of ticket sales that made bowls work.  I know the Peach Bowl was started as a way to attract fans to ATL in winter, the city chipped in for a while.  It was a pretty miserable bowl initially, nearly flamed out.

PreESPN, you had no lucrative TV contract necessarily, so the Peach went to NYE to be "unique".  I think one of the nets picked it up, usually, probably for a song.

The corporate sponsors footed the bill, from the very beginning. It started local with chamber of commerce type support, and then became more national over the years, but it was always corporate money.  The Tournament of Roses Parade and eventual Rose Bowl games were creations of local Pasadena businesses to promote the city.

The Tournament of Roses Parade, now known as the Rose Parade, began in 1890 as a promotional effort by the Pasadena Valley Hunt Club to showcase the city's charm and warm weather. Specifically, they wanted to attract tourists and highlight Pasadena's abundant flowers and warm climate, especially during the winter months. The club envisioned a mid-winter holiday event where visitors could enjoy sporting events and a parade of decorated carriages, showcasing the abundance of blooms.

I'm not saying there was big money initially, but the only reason the bowl games ever existed, was due to corporate sponsorship.

And all that's without even mentioning the professional ringers and hired guns that college teams employed way back when, during the leather helmet days.

 If there was ever a "slide from purity" then it began over 100 years ago.

I can see "Chamber of Commerce" types getting together saying "We should start a bowl game!".  It's not direct corporate sponsorship, like Chevy clearly putting in $$$.  

It does take money to start a bowl obviously, and it comes from a group of corporations, and maybe a bit from the city.