LAS VEGAS (AP) A Pac-10 conference team will play in the Las
Vegas Bowl through the 2005 season, bowl officials announced
Monday.
The Las Vegas Bowl pits the Pac 10's fifth-place finisher
against the Mountain West Conference's second-place team. The two
conferences have met in the postseason game since 2001.
``The quality of football played in the Pac-10 and the
excitement generated on the campuses along with the proximity and
easy accessibility to Las Vegas makes this a natural fit,'' the
bowl's executive director Tina Kunzer-Murphy said in a statement.
Bowl officials said they moved this year's game to Christmas Eve
so team members and fans can spend Christmas Day with their
families. The 12th Las Vegas Bowl will be televised live on ESPN at
4:30 p.m. PST.
The Las Vegas Bowl, which is played at Sam Boyd Stadium, lost
its sponsor, SEGA Sports last year, and bowl officials are still
looking for a replacement.
Last year, UCLA defeated New Mexico 27-13 before a crowd of
21,584. Participating teams received $800,000 each.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)