Last night, the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl kicked off the heart of the college bowl season — and financial services companies once again are prominent sponsors.

Like last year, financial services companies have sponsored six bowl games:

• San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, Dec. 26
• Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, Dec. 30
• Capital One Bowl, Jan. 1
• Allstate Sugar Bowl, Jan. 2
• Discover Orange Bowl, Jan. 3
• BBVA Compass Bowl, Jan. 4

This is the same mix of sponsorships as last year. However, the calculus of bowl game sponsorships is anything but clearer this year. In previous years, IEG Sponsorship Report published estimates for the value of each bowl sponsorship to its sponsors. The estimate was based on game length, audience, and the number of times the name of the sponsor was mentioned.

But IEG Sponsorship Report told Bank Innovation that it was no longer estimating the value of the sponsorship deals. “They vary so much that they are very difficult to estimate,” said William Chipps, Senior Editor, IEG Sponsorship Report. Certainly, there is value in the sponsorships, but how much value simply cannot be determined until after the game — if ever. Like sports itself, only when the buzzer sounds can the winner be named.