FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Colorado State University is closing in on the 4,000 mark for ticket sales
to Tuesday's New Orleans Bowl - a figure that has athletic department
officials secretly smiling.
While 4,000 may not sound like much - especially when the inaugural bowl has
made CSU and North Texas responsible for 15,000 tickets apiece - it's better
than what CSU had been expecting at this point. Some athletic department
officials had even feared that ticket sales would not surpass the 3,000 mark
because of the following factors:
CSU's 6-5 record hasn't created much postseason passion among fans who are
used to the Rams winning conference championships and finishing with eight
or nine wins a season.
North Texas, CSU's opponent, has very little name recognition. The
fact that the Mean Green finished with a losing record (5-6) doesn't help.
The Dec. 18 play date doesn't mesh well with fans hoping to travel to
the game. CSU never has before played in a pre-Christmas bowl, and many fans
are unable to arrange their work schedules around the early game. Also,
local schools still will be in session when the game is played.
Travel concerns remain from the Sept. 11 tragedy. Also, flights to New
Orleans are fairly pricey, and it's a long trip by car for those unwilling
to fly.
While teams normally get at least five to six weeks to sell bowl
tickets, CSU has only three because the game is played so early.
Still, the response overall has been positive, particularly to the
Send-A-Student program that allows fans to buy tickets for CSU students, who
will ride buses to New Orleans and attend the game. As of Wednesday,
officials are expecting six to seven busloads of students to make the trip.
Even if fans can't make the trip, CSU fans are hoping they will buy
tickets to help defray the cost of the bowl. Tickets are $40 and are
available by calling 491-7267.
MAKING HIS MARK - While it's hard to find anything positive in Brigham
Young's embarrassing 72-45 loss at Hawaii that spoiled a chance at a perfect
13-0 season, you have to acknowledge the Cougars for bringing credibility to
the Mountain West Conference. When Luke Staley last week was named the
winner of the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back, it gave
BYU yet another major individual award.
Over the years, Cougars have won the Heisman Trophy, Outland Trophy
(twice) and Maxwell Award. CSU (Thorpe Award) and Air Force (Outland Trophy)
are the only other MWC schools to have individuals win major awards.
ADD BYU - Not only were the Cougars beaten by Hawaii, they were beaten
up. In addition to Staley, who remains doubtful after breaking his leg Dec.
1, BYU lost quarterback Brandon Doman (broken rib), receiver Reno Mahe (torn
knee cartilage) and two backup fullbacks with broken wrists vs. Hawaii. All
have a chance to play New Years's Eve in the Liberty Bowl, but their
inability to practice is hurting the Cougars' preparation.
That's not good news for BYU, which will be facing a very solid team in
Louisville.
HOOPS CENTRAL - While men's basketball was supposed to be the marquee
sport when the MWC was formed three years ago, it is the women who have
helped establish the league's hoops identity.
Thus far, the league has knocked off three Top 25 teams (CSU twice, New
Mexico once), and five of the eight teams have either been ranked or
received votes in the weekly Top 25 polls. Right now it appears that four
teams - CSU, Utah, UNLV and New Mexico - have legitimate chances to make it
into the NCAA Tournament.
ADD HOOPS - One week after joining the 1,000-point club at CSU, Angie
Gorton did something else that's extremely rare - she missed a game. Gorton,
CSU's standout senior guard, did not play Sunday at Florida International
because of a sprained ankle. According to CSU records, Gorton had played in
107 straight games prior to sitting out.
DOUBLE TROUBLE - Wyoming is considered the top men's team in the MWC,
and balance is a key reason. Remarkably, five players already have recorded
double-doubles for the Pokes this season. Even more remarkably, one of them
is not Marcus Bailey, considered their best overall player.
AND FINALLY - You may have missed it but Urban Meyer, the popular
former assistant coach at CSU, was named Mid-American Conference coach of
the year after leading Bowling Green to an 8-3 record in his first season.
Meyer, who coached receivers for Earle Bruce and Sonny Lubick at CSU, did
such a good job that he was mentioned as a possible candidate for the Notre
Dame job that went to Georgia Tech's George O'Leary. Meyer had been a Notre
Dame assistant prior to taking the Bowling Green job.
