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Tuesday, January 15
Seattle effort 'light years ahead' of Oahu Bowl
Associated Press
SEATTLE -- The inaugural Seattle Bowl made money, met
organizers' expectations and was well-received by the Stanford and
Georgia Tech contingents, officials say.
"I think that from virtually every way you can gauge it, it was
very successful," Pacific-10 Conference commissioner Tom Hansen
said. "It takes time to build up a game. I think it has a chance
to do exactly that."
Final figures from the event and from hotels and other visitor
accommodations are still being tallied, but early returns are
encouraging, bowl co-owner Terry Daw said.
"It was profitable," Daw said. "It turned out about like we
expected for the first year."
Hotel reservations were less than expected -- the Sheraton and
Westin hotels each reported about 1,000 rooms taken by bowl-goers
after hoping for 1,200 rooms each.
Attendance also was lower than expected but about 3,000 tickets
were sold the day of the game, showing local interest.
Eateries and watering holes near Safeco Field were hardly jammed
when Georgia Tech beat Stanford 24-14 on Dec. 27, but both teams
enjoyed being in downtown hotels within walking distance of the
waterfront.
"We would come back tomorrow if we could," Georgia Tech
athletic director Dave Braine said, "and that's what I told our
commissioner (John Swofford of the Atlantic Coast Conference): We
need to have that bowl."
The game, previously the Oahu Bowl, was moved to Seattle because
of declining revenue in Honolulu.
"It's light years ahead of what they had a year ago in
Hawaii," Pac-10 assistant commissioner Duane Lindberg said.
"That's probably the best measuring stick from where they went in
Hawaii to, in a short time, putting it on in Seattle."
The Seattle Bowl was certified in April, and organizers
negotiated a sponsorship agreement with 989 Sports, a software
division of Sony, only a week before the game.
Negotiations with 989 Sports for next year are in the works,
bowl executive director Jim Haugh said.
Initially, organizers planned to move to the new Seahawks
stadium nearing completion by Safeco Field, but Haugh said Safeco
and Husky Stadium at the University of Washington remain options.
Also still to be determined are contracts with athletic
conferences. The old agreement with the Pac-10 and ACC expired this
year.
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