Nov. 15, 2000

By Meri-Jo Borzilleri
The Gazette

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The selection committee for the Las Vegas Bowl has a decision to make.

Will it wait to see if UNLV (5-5, 3-3 Mountain West Conference), the home team, wins out and qualifies? That would mean holding off until Dec. 2, when the Rebels play Hawaii in their season finale.

Or will it invite Air Force (7-3, 4-2), which became bowl-eligible by beating Colorado State on Saturday? An early invitation would jump start ticket sales and hotel reservations.

The bowl is guaranteed the second pick of MWC teams, after the Liberty Bowl takes the league champ. UNLV, which plays San Diego State on Nov. 25, would finish third by winning its two remaining games, but the selection committee isn't forced to take the league's second-place team.

"I certainly understand and respect their position to see if UNLV will qualify," MWC commissioner Craig Thompson said.

If CSU defeats Wyoming it will go to the Liberty Bowl. The Las Vegas Bowl could then invite Air Force, even before its regular-season finale against San Diego State.

Another question facing the Vegas committee: go for the money or make local fans happy. Air Force supporters bring money to the city by staying in hotels. Locals don't.

"I really don't know where they're going to turn," Thompson said.

FALCONS-AZTECS ON TV: Saturday's 1 p.m. game against San Diego State at Falcon Stadium will be broadcast on Ch. 3 locally. It is an ESPN Regional broadcast, with Chris Marlowe doing the play-by-play, JC Pearson the color and Beth Mowins the sideline reporting.