The Seattle-based Internet company
will take over the college all-star
football game sponsorship
from Hooters

By Paul Arnett
Star-Bulletin

RIVALS.COM will be the new title sponsor of the Hula Bowl, according to an announcement this morning by Bowl Games of Hawaii.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the three-year agreement will not only keep the 54-year-old college all-star game financially sound, but give it unprecedented publicity through the Seattle-based Internet and publishing company.

"Once the football season begins, they will be the largest collegiate Web site in the country," Lenny Klompus, chief executive officer of Bowl Games of Hawaii, told the Star-Bulletin this morning. "They have 325 collegiate Web sites."

Rivals.com is replacing Hooters as the title sponsor. Klompus said the national restaurant chain saved the game when it agreed to be the sponsor four years ago. The chain will no longer be involved in the game.

"But let me say we owe a lot to Hooters for their sponsorship the last four years," Klompus said. "They came along and helped keep this tradition-rich game alive when things didn't look good."

The American Football Coaches Association, which began its association with the game in 1995, will continue to be involved, said its executive director, Grant Teaff.

By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Ricky Williams breaks loose to score his second touchdown as
the South beat the North 34-14 in the Hula Bowl on Jan. 24, 1999.

ESPN-TV still has three years remaining on its contract. The 2000 Hula Bowl will be played on Jan. 22. It was moved to a Saturday to avoid a conflict with the NFL championship games. Kickoff is set for 10:30 a.m. Hawaii time.

Head coaches for the game will be Wisconsin's Barry Alvarez and Tennessee's Phil Fulmer.

It was also announced today that Arizona's Dick Tomey, formerly of the UH, will be one of the assistants.

"When Bowl Games of Hawaii took over the event some four years ago, the AFCA made a major commitment to the Hula Bowl to assist their efforts in restoring this great all-star tradition to its rightful place of prominence in college football," Teaff said today.

Klompus also announced that the teams would be divided into the Kai and Aina squads rather than North and South as in previous years. Klompus said the change is to increase awareness that the game is played in Hawaii.

The Rivals.com Web site covers the sports arena.

Rivals.com

Joining Alvarez on the Kai team are AFCA president Rocky Rees of Shippensburg University, Fisher DeBerry of the Air Force Academy, and one of the GTE National Coach of the Year winners.

Fulmer will coach the Aina squad. His assistants are Tomey and two of the national Coach of the Year winners. The GTE winners will be announced at the AFCA convention next January.

As in the past, the Hula Bowl will invite former Heisman Trophy winners. They include 1969 winner Steve Owens of Oklahoma, 1960 champion Joe Bellino of the Naval Academy, 1992 winner Gino Torretta, and 1972 champ Johnny Rodgers of Nebraska.

New Orleans rookie running back Ricky Williams said he would come if he wasn't involved in the NFL postseason.

"The national promotion of Hawaii is huge for this event," Klompus said. "The exposure we're going to get through Rivals.com, and other venues, really can't be measured in dollars and cents."