Nov. 13, 2000

By Ralph Routon
The Gazette

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Let's say you want to see Air Force play in its bowl game, now that the Falcons know they'll be going somewhere in late December.

You want to make your travel arrangements while fares might be reasonable. You just don't have the destination.

Guess what? You - and Air Force - might not know for up to three more weeks. It could be the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 29 in Memphis, Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 21 or the new Silicon Valley Classic on New Year's Eve in San Jose.

Those bowls are committed to take Mountain West Conference teams. The champion goes to Memphis, and Colorado State only has to bury downtrodden Wyoming (1-9) on Thursday night to lock up a return trip.

That leaves Las Vegas or San Jose for Air Force. Nobody will say so, but rest assured the academy's preference is Vegas. In fact, if you're willing to take the risk, it's worth the gamble to plan accordingly.

The folks in Las Vegas aren't joining this conversation yet. They have the second Mountain West choice, and they haven't given up on Nevada-Las Vegas.

Air Force accepts that possibility, but also realizes UNLV (5-5) is far from bowl-eligibility. To achieve that status, the Rebels must win at San Diego State on Nov. 25 and at Hawaii on Dec. 2.

By the way, UNLV is 0-5 on the road this season. So unless the Rebels change their habits drastically, Air Force's fans can plan on some pre-Christmas slots and blackjack.

What about the opposition? That's another reason Air Force would rather not know the way to San Jose, where the host team comes from the Western Athletic Conference - perhaps the winner of San Jose State-Fresno State on Nov. 25, but also possibly Texas-El Paso. Worthy as that trio might be, it's safe to say Air Force wouldn't choose them first.

Las Vegas could be different. The at-large flexibility allows Vegas to pursue any leagues with more available teams than guaranteed bowls.

Air Force could play an opponent from the Big Ten - possibly Michigan State, Illinois or Minnesota - or the Atlantic Coast, with North Carolina and Maryland as candidates. Las Vegas wanted a Pac-10 team, but that league has beaten up on itself and apparently won't have extra teams.

It's possible Las Vegas might have to settle for less marquee appeal, such as surprising UTEP. Until then, the Falcons (along with ESPN2, televising the game nationally) could hope for those Big Ten or ACC leftovers, any of whom would also rather face Air Force than UNLV on the Rebels' home field.

Of course, the Falcons have one more chance to enhance their own appeal, Saturday against San Diego State. They also want to see how CSU-Wyoming goes, though that should be a foregone conclusion.

At least Air Force can plan on going somewhere around the holidays, which will make the travel agents happy.

And as a wise athletic director once said, there's no such thing as a bad bowl.