|
|
|
Over the Rainbow
Emerald City Bowl hopeful for December 2004.
Dec. 18, 2003
SEATTLE - Seattle, Washington-Pro Sports & Entertainment, Inc., an owner/operator of live entertainment events, and First & Goal, Inc., owned by Paul Allen and the operator of the Seahawks Stadium and Exhibition Center, have entered into a 5-year license agreement for the exclusive use of Seahawks Stadium as the home of the NCAA Seattle Bowl which, upon NCAA certification, begins in December 2004. This license agreement is a strategic component of Pro Sports & Entertainment, Inc.'s application to the NCAA for the bowl game's re-certification. Pro Sports & Entertainment, Inc. has been endorsed by the Lieutenant Governor of Washington, unanimously by the Seattle Sports Commission, and by the Seattle Visitors and Convention Bureau to re-establish the Seattle Bowl to prominence. The Pac-10 and Mountain West conferences also support the initiative. "I am very pleased about the opportunity to resurrect the old Seattle Bowl which will now be called the Emerald City Bowl," commented Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson, who was in Seattle for today's announcement. "Even though it must still go through the NCAA certification committee, I'm optimistic with the local support and interest of the Seattle area the bowl will be certified for 2004." In 2002, The Mountain West Conference signed a four-year agreement to send its fourth selection to the Seattle Bowl. The former Seattle Bowl was run under the auspices of Aloha Sports, which failed to receive NCAA re-certification following the 2002 contest. "We are extremely pleased to partner with Pro Sports & Entertainment as they position the Seattle Bowl in front of the NCAA," says First & Goal President and CEO, Tod Leweike. "Their efforts to establish a permanent fixture in our region will be of significant value to the welfare of our community. We envision a committed effort from our citizens and businesses to make this a nationally recognized and popular event." Pro Sports & Entertainment, located in Los Angeles, owns a portfolio of prestigious events in the U.S. including the Verizon Millrose Games indoor track and field meet in New York's Madison Square Garden, the Santa Barbara and Maui music festivals and the Santa Barbara and Rodeo Drive (Beverly Hills) Concours d'Elegances. "Pro Sports & Entertainment is excited about entering the collegiate bowl circuit," says its President and CEO Paul Feller. "Seattle is the perfect city, and Seahawks Stadium the perfect venue to host a part of college football tradition." "We are delighted to support the return of the Seattle Bowl," says Pat Patrick, Chair-Seattle Sports Commission.
Depending on the Seattle Seahawks National Football League schedule, the Seattle Bowl will be played each year between December 26th and 30th.
|
|
