[ADPinWDC]

There's a lot of questionable stuff on bowl selections in this thread. 

The conference chooses the bowl selections (as Spiny noted). 

In recent years the conference records have very closely reflected the bowl pecking order. Most exceptions are where schools asked for a flip to provide a different destination for players and fans. [My memory is that Stanford lobbied for the Sun Bowl rather than the Foster Farms Bowl in 2016.]

Minor bowl games do not make money by visiting fan bases showing up. Most of the money is TV. Participating teams must agree to purchase a bunch of tickets, which outside of some rare cases is more than their fans will buy. That hits athletic department budgets but doesn't affect the bowl's take. 

Stanford and the Foster Farms Bowl did seem to have a bit of a beef in 2014. Whatever was the reason, it wasn't that Stanford killed their meager attendance numbers. 
Foster Farms Bowl attendance (bowl changed names a few times):
2011 - 29,878  (Illinois vs UCLA)
2012 - 34,172  (Navy vs ASU)
2013 - 34,136  (BYU vs Washington)
2014 - 34,780  (Maryland vs Stanford)
2015 - 33,527  (Nabraska vs UCLA)
2016 - 27,608  (Indiana vs Utah)
2017 - 28,436  (Purdue vs Arizona)

My understanding of the Foster Farms disappointment was that the bowl organizers expected a bump in attendance because Stanford was so close.  But it was Christmas break, so all the students were gone, and the fan-base was not bunched within convenient driving distance as with more local universities.  So there was no bump, and Maryland fans actually outnumbered the Stanford fans.  But, yes, as can be seen, the attendance numbers have flagged regardless of the participants.  If there was any other beef, I am unaware of the causes.

Here is the argument to dispel OUTSIDERS on the RedBox Fridge Bowl (Non-alums; East Coast pundits unfamiliar with the Bay Area) 
1) Please understand this:  Stanford is NOT a state commuter school -- East Coast writers just don't get this.  
2) The Stanford dorms are LOCKED up during Christmas break -- Dec. 16 - Jan. 3.  NOBODY there !!!   RedBox is NOT a home game!  
3) Levi is not our home stadium.  CAPISCE?  (Except for Pac12 Champ game, usually -- heh, heh, heh)  
4) Holiday Bowl could be a bigger draw than Alamo or Sun, or Vegas.  
     -- Bay Area Stanford alums are MUCH more likely to spend on hotels in San Diego than near Levi.  
     -- San Diego or Rose Bowl is a quick 1.5 hour flight from NorCal.  Big diff from El Paso or San Antone.  
5) More Stanford alums are from and live in Southern Calif. [check that with alumni relations; 220,000 total alums with grad schools] 
-- any SoCal game, I submit, will draw more alums than Levi.  Driving distance, or train to San Diego. Easy.  
6) This has to be tested, but the SoCal rivalry is DOUBLED:  U$C + UCLA. They are enemies. 
So, SoCal fans pay more attention to Football.  Berzerkeley is a goofy, nerd rival.

[ADPinWDC]

There's a lot of questionable stuff on bowl selections in this thread. 

The conference chooses the bowl selections (as Spiny noted). 

In recent years the conference records have very closely reflected the bowl pecking order. Most exceptions are where schools asked for a flip to provide a different destination for players and fans. [My memory is that Stanford lobbied for the Sun Bowl rather than the Foster Farms Bowl in 2016.]

Minor bowl games do not make money by visiting fan bases showing up. Most of the money is TV. Participating teams must agree to purchase a bunch of tickets, which outside of some rare cases is more than their fans will buy. That hits athletic department budgets but doesn't affect the bowl's take. 

Stanford and the Foster Farms Bowl did seem to have a bit of a beef in 2014. Whatever was the reason, it wasn't that Stanford killed their meager attendance numbers. 
Foster Farms Bowl attendance (bowl changed names a few times):
2011 - 29,878  (Illinois vs UCLA)
2012 - 34,172  (Navy vs ASU)
2013 - 34,136  (BYU vs Washington)
2014 - 34,780  (Maryland vs Stanford)
2015 - 33,527  (Nabraska vs UCLA)
2016 - 27,608  (Indiana vs Utah)
2017 - 28,436  (Purdue vs Arizona)

My understanding of the Foster Farms disappointment was that the bowl organizers expected a bump in attendance because Stanford was so close.  But it was Christmas break, so all the students were gone, and the fan-base was not bunched within convenient driving distance as with more local universities.  So there was no bump, and Maryland fans actually outnumbered the Stanford fans.  But, yes, as can be seen, the attendance numbers have flagged regardless of the participants.  If there was any other beef, I am unaware of the causes.

Here is the argument to dispel OUTSIDERS on the RedBox Fridge Bowl (Non-alums; East Coast pundits unfamiliar with the Bay Area) 
1) Please understand this:  Stanford is NOT a state commuter school -- East Coast writers just don't get this.  
2) The Stanford dorms are LOCKED up during Christmas break -- Dec. 16 - Jan. 3.  NOBODY there !!!   RedBox is NOT a home game!  
3) Levi is not our home stadium.  CAPISCE?  (Except for Pac12 Champ game, usually -- heh, heh, heh)  
4) Holiday Bowl could be a bigger draw than Alamo or Sun, or Vegas.  
     -- Bay Area Stanford alums are MUCH more likely to spend on hotels in San Diego than near Levi.  
     -- San Diego or Rose Bowl is a quick 1.5 hour flight from NorCal.  Big diff from El Paso or San Antone.  
5) More Stanford alums are from and live in Southern Calif. [check that with alumni relations; 220,000 total alums with grad schools] 
-- any SoCal game, I submit, will draw more alums than Levi.  Driving distance, or train to San Diego. Easy.  
6) This has to be tested, but the SoCal rivalry is DOUBLED:  U$C + UCLA. They are enemies. 
So, SoCal fans pay more attention to Football.  Berzerkeley is a goofy, nerd rival.