December 06, 2015 7:45 pm  •  

 When he founded the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl, Tucson attorney Ali Farhang had one rule.

Well, three.

“Our colors aren’t going to be purple and teal. We’re not going to have a cactus and a cowboy hat on there,” he said. “Let’s create a new perception instead of sticking with the old ones.”

The Arizona Bowl took another step into a funky new future Sunday, when it was announced that Colorado State and Nevada would play in the Dec. 29 game at Arizona Stadium. Both teams play in the Mountain West Conference, setting up an ultra-rare bowl meeting between league foes. The last nonchampionship bowl game to feature two teams from the same conference was the Orange Bowl … in 1979.

“Hey, we’re all about distinguishing ourselves from every other game,” Farhang said.

The inaugural matchup came together when teams from the Sun Belt Conference and Conference USA, two of the Arizona Bowl’s tie-ins, failed to deliver enough qualified teams. Bowl officials talked to the Pac-12 about taking the Arizona Wildcats, but were rebuffed.

Colorado State (7-5) qualified under the Arizona Bowl’s agreement with the Mountain West. Nevada was invited Sunday despite objections from conference commissioner Craig Thompson, who believed a 6-6 Wolf Pack deserved a more prestigious bowl than teams with 5-7 records. Nebraska, for example, has a losing record but will face UCLA in the Foster Farms Bowl.

Another 5-7 team, Minnesota, will play in the Quick Lane Bowl.

Thompson said in a news release that he tried “swaps, alternative financial arrangements and creative options” to avoid an all-Mountain West bowl game, but found no takers.

“The NCAA decision to allow 5-7 teams to be added to the pool on an equal footing with 6-6 teams was flawed,” Thompson said.

“Our conference representatives argued steadfastly for an approach whereby all 6-6 teams would first be placed according to primary and secondary agreements among the conferences and bowl games.”

“Clearly,” he said, “the system is broken.”

 

Teams.jpg

 

Alan Young, CEO of the Arizona Sports and Entertainment Commission, said the Mountain West showdown “turned out to be the best choice” for the Arizona Bowl.

Neither Colorado State nor Nevada objected to the pairing, he said.

So this is the Arizona Bowl, the first postseason game in Tucson since 1999.

“We’re thrilled about it,” Young said. “The conference (teams) are close, they can drive … it makes sense. They know Tucson, and they want to come.”

Colorado State is riding a four-game winning streak, and has taken five of its last six games under first-year coach Mike Bobo. Wide receiver Rashard Higgins leads the Rams in catches (66) and yards (933), and has eight receiving touchdowns.

Nevada (6-6) should be familiar to Arizona fans: The Wildcats and Wolf Pack have played each other three times in the last four seasons, including a memorable 2012 New Mexico Bowl game in Albuquerque.

Coach Brian Polian’s team played the UA at Arizona Stadium in September 2014, losing 35-28.

The odd matchup is strangely fitting for Tucson’s bowl game, which will be run — and broadcast — differently than most games. Arizona Bowl officials have given 5,000 tickets to each school, and will let Colorado State and Nevada sell them and keep the profits.

A portion of each ticket sold in Tucson — and all the game’s revenue — will be donated to charity.

The Arizona Bowl is also the first game in postseason history to be digital-first: CampusInsiders.com will stream the game online, though it will also be shown on the American Sports Network and on local television in both Reno and Denver.

More local affiliates will be announced in the coming week.

There’s not a cactus or cowboy hat in sight.

“We’re a different bowl,” Farhang said. “We’re going to change the business models for all the other bowls. … Everything about this bowl is a little quirky.”

About Tucson Digital Media

Tucson Digital Media offers a total marketing solution. We expand your footprint with dynamic and targeted advertising campaigns that drive customers to your door.

Visit Website
View All Posts