A shot at redemption: Local promoter Roy Englebrecht pitches Irrelevant Bowl

For several decades, Newport Beach has celebrated underdog stories through the annual festivities of Irrelevant Week.

The title of Mr. Irrelevant has been bestowed upon the last pick in the NFL draft each year since 1976. The members of that fraternity have been made over by a cult following that simply can’t get enough of roasting and toasting the proverbial longshot, wishing them well as they move forward.

Arising from the same community now is an effort to give two college football teams one final shot at redemption. Newport Beach resident and local promoter Roy Englebrecht said he contacted the NCAA last week hoping to obtain a waiver for the inaugural Irrelevant Bowl.

Unlike most bowl games, which generally require teams to earn six wins to become eligible, this pitch calls for two of the worst teams in college football to square off for an elusive win, giving them a chance to change their seasons.

Englebrecht made his name through a long career as a serial entrepreneur and prize fight promoter. Fight Club OC, a hybrid show featuring boxing and mixed martial arts, just completed its 13th season.

So what is spurring his foray into this new arena? Englebrecht might argue that everyone is looking for their 15 minutes of fame. That could range from schools that generally aren’t heard from in college football’s postseason to an overshadowed title sponsor.

“As an entrepreneur and as a promoter, I’ve died and gone to heaven because there’s so many things that tie into the Irrelevant Bowl, the irrelevant city and the irrelevant sponsor,” Englebrecht added.

The host site question could also provide some interesting possibilities. If the bowl game comes to fruition, Englebrecht surmised that a little town could come together to make the event its own. The game could put a little-known town on the map.

The logo for the Irrelevant Bowl.

(Courtesy of Roy Englebrecht)

“This little city, they’re going to get the Irrelevant Bowl, and the whole town is going to get behind it,” Englebrecht said.

Host city hopefuls would place a bid in the first quarter of 2024, covering lodging and meals for the two participating teams, stadium expenses, and a $1-million site fee, according to a news release. All revenue generated from the event, including ticket sales, concessions and parking, would go back to the city that puts on the game.

While not directly connected to Irrelevant Week, Englebrecht had long admired the late Paul Salata, so much so that he has expressed a desire to name the potential bowl game’s trophy after him. He connected with Salata’s daughter, Melanie Salata Fitch, now the chief executive of Irrelevant Week, to explain the idea.

“There’s not a better person that I know than Paul Salata, who gave so much, who had so much, who loved sports, who loved kids and so forth,” Englebrecht said. “That’s why I wanted Mel to see the logo and tell her I’m going to announce this, so that she would be aware of it.

“She was fine. She was laughing. She even thought it was cute. It’s funny that we’re both here in Newport Beach, both these ideas came out of one community, and I think if there would never have been an Irrelevant Week, I would never come up with the Irrelevant Bowl.”

Salata Fitch was asked if she would lend her father’s name to the trophy.

“If it’s honoring football players or honoring a team, then yes,” Salata Fitch said. “If it’s making a joke out of one more loss, then we would not support his name to be attached to something that was being mean to players. I don’t think that’s what Roy’s intent is. I think he’s kind of like, ‘Everybody should be able to play.’ Let them play. They’ve done their practices, they have their helmets on, let them play and go for a win. …

“I would lend Dad’s name to it as long as it was in an effort to celebrate the underdog and let the players be showcased and be seen by scouts and be cheered on by fans.”

Skeptics might wonder if teams would have an appetite to keep playing at the end of a trying season. A team would not have to accept an invitation to the Irrelevant Bowl, said Englebrecht, who added that he did not foresee teams tanking to be a part of it. Weekly standings updates would keep tabs on the top candidates to be invited to the Irrelevant Bowl.

“I’m a glasses-half-full guy,” said Englebrecht when asked about his confidence level that the game would happen. “I can make a good case, but [the NCAA], they could look at it, like some people, ‘You’re degrading the sport. You’re making fun of the sport. This is too comical. This is too tongue-in-cheek.’ …

“I’m going to give it a 50-50, which is not me. I like to think I’m going to be more optimistic than that, but dealing with the NCAA is not easy. They control college sports. … I’ll tell you, I’m going to work hard in making my case.”