Bowl game for
Bay area on
shaky terrain

Hawaii could benefit if
the ex-Aloha Bowl fails
to find backing

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By Paul Arnett
parnett@starbulletin.com

RENO, Nevada >> Aloha Sports Inc. organizers have until Monday to get the proposed San Francisco Bowl on solid financial footing or they will lose the Pac-10 representative for that game.

Western Athletic Conference commissioner Karl Benson said today that the game formerly known as the Aloha Bowl is in trouble, perhaps clearing the way for a postseason event to return to the islands as early as 2002.

"The game projected to be played in Seattle appears to be well on its way," Benson said of the former Oahu Bowl. "The game will feature a team from the Pac-10 and one from the ACC.

"The game that was projected to be moved to San Francisco, however, appears to be in jeopardy. The Pac-10 has given (chief executive officer Fritz Rohlfing) until next Monday to finalize a deal in San Francisco or they will stop current negotiations."

If that game isn't played, the fifth Pac-10 team would go to the Las Vegas Bowl, making available Pac-10 six for either the Humanitarian Bowl or the Silicon Valley Football Classic. Benson said negotiations are under way to bring a sixth team from the Big Ten as well to face either the WAC champion or the runner-up.

As originally reported in the Star-Bulletin last spring, the WAC is also interested in perhaps establishing a new bowl game in Hawaii as early as the 2002 season, but not at the expense of the current two bowl tie-ins for the WAC.

Benson wants a third venue for the 10-team league. Not only is Hawaii a possibility, but the new bowl game in Houston that begins this year could also afford the WAC a possible venue.

"Right now, it's Big 12 seven vs. a team from Conference USA," Benson said. "But if the Big Ten doesn't have that many bowl-eligible teams, it's possible we could slide in there and even offer our WAC champion if necessary.

"We'll begin negotiations over the next 30 days at having a possible game in Hawaii, but I want to put aside any possibility of the bowl in San Jose or Boise moving to Hawaii. Our plans would be to reestablish a game in Hawaii. We expect the current NCAA moratorium on not adding any new bowl games to be removed next year."