SEATTLE -- The Seattle Bowl has been decertified by an NCAA panel, apparently ending the postseason game after a financially troubled two-year run.

The Football Certification Subcommittee decided Wednesday not to approve the Seattle Bowl for 2003-04, apparently the only one of 29 such applications that was rejected, bowl executive director Jim Haugh said.

An official announcement of certified bowl games was scheduled for release Thursday. NCAA officials would not comment Wednesday on the Seattle Bowl decision.

"Obviously, we are very disappointed in the decision,'' Haugh told The Seattle Times. "I think it really came down to that they had issues with how the game was run last year.''

The Seattle Bowl was played in 2001 at Safeco Field and last year at Seahawks Stadium with Wake Forest beating Oregon 38-17.

Operators missed two deadlines for providing a $1.5 million letter of credit last year and or negligent in paying many of their debts.

The game has been run by Aloha Sports Inc., owned by Terry Daw of Hawaii, who has been trying to sell the company to Pro Sports & Entertainment Inc. of Santa Barbara, Calif.

Besides hangups in the sale, Daw's company was sued for $250,000 by the Mountain West Conference, which was under contract to supply its No. 4 team to face the No. 6 team from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Despite the lawsuit, Daw said Mountain West officials "testified on our behalf'' in San Diego.

"Basically, it's just the teams (that haven't been paid),'' Daw said. "Most of the debts in Seattle were paid. Maybe there were a few small ones left out there.''

Haugh said the NCAA showed favoritism toward ESPN, which now owns three bowls, including a new game to be played in Fort Worth, Texas.

"The NCAA is apparently willing to look one way for some people but not for others,'' he said.