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ASU-UA winner will play in Las Vegas Bowl
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The winner of Arizona State’s game at Arizona on Saturday will likely play in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 20.
The bowl informed both ASU and Arizona officials on Thursday that a deal is in place to select the Territorial Cup victor, sending California to the Dec. 27 Emerald Bowl in San Francisco. The deal is contingent on Southern California defeating UCLA on Saturday, which is likely.
“We decided that it would be best for everybody at this point to do this and announce what we were doing,” said Tina Kunzer-Murphy, Las Vegas Bowl executive director. “That way, if USC beats UCLA, everybody in the Pac-10 will know where they are going on Saturday night.”
Matchups for the 34 bowls are officially announced on Sunday.
The Las Vegas and Emerald have flexibility with the Pac-10’s Nos. 4 and 5 selections, respectively. That means the Las Vegas can bypass California to leave it as a local draw for the Emerald. Also, the Las Vegas has coveted a chance to host one of the Arizona schools.
“It played a huge role that we’ve not had one of the Arizona schools in our bowl,” Kunzer-Murphy said. “With the economic situation and the time frame involved, it was a decision based on business and the reality of the situation. It’s easier and (more affordable) for someone to get in the car or plane from Phoenix or Tucson and come to the game.”
ASU is 5-6; Arizona 6-5. The Las Vegas Bowl opponent would be a Mountain West school, either Brigham Young or Texas Christian, assuming Utah earns a BCS bid. Both schools are 10-2.
The bowl will hold a press conference with the athletic director, head coach and a player from both competing schools in Las Vegas on Tuesday. The teams are required to be in Las Vegas no later than Dec. 17, meaning a four-day stay that is shorter than a typical bowl trip.
The Las Vegas Bowl kicks off at 6 p.m. Arizona time and will be broadcast on ESPN.
By beating UCLA, USC would claim the Pac-10’s Bowl Championship Series berth. Oregon is likely headed to the Holiday Bowl, which has the conference’s No. 2 selection, with Oregon State going to the Sun (No. 3).
If ASU wins on Saturday, Arizona will be sent to the Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve, against a WAC foe (likely Hawaii).
A Sun Devils loss would leave them out of the postseason and the Pac-10 would have just five bowl teams. The conference would be unable to fill its slots in the Hawaii and Poinsettia bowls.
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