Official Site of the Emerald Bowl
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ASK THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR To ask your question click here....ASK IT HERE MAILBOX:
Q: Mr. Cavalli,
Because they have so far to travel, how concerned do you get that the Emerald Bowl's ACC representative will have trouble bringing their fans to the game, and how does this affect your selection process?
Thanks, and I'm looking forward to the game!
~Christopher
A: Christopher,
There's no question that the distance (and cost) of travel to San Francisco may limit the number of ACC fans who can make the trek. Another complication is the fact that we can't select our teams this year until after the ACC championship and three Pac-10 games on December 6. This means fans will have less than three weeks to make their travel plans.
Given those factors, why did we choose to affiliate with the ACC? We based our decision to go with the Pac-10 and ACC on creating a unique, "national" matchup. Our game is the only post-season bowl that matches these two conferences, and they rarely play each other in the regular season. We look to the Pac-10 team to bring us 10,000 to 15,000 fans. We look to the ACC to provide an attractive East vs. West matchup that will appeal to football fans in the Bay Area, fans of our Pac-10 representative and a national television audience. We also work very hard to make sure that our ACC team and the fans who do make the trip have a great experience in San Francisco.
So far, the plan seems to be working. In 2006, when we selected Florida State and UCLA, we were able to match two premier football programs that had never before met on the football field. The result was a sellout game and one of the highest rated bowls on television. Last year, we did almost as well with Maryland vs. Oregon State. This year's game will be our third straight in prime time.
In selecting our ACC team, we look for a "name" program that will have local and national appeal. Some of the key factors we consider when evaluating teams include: how they finished the season (were they playing well down the stretch?), whether they are exciting to watch, how many alumni they have in Northern California, the size of their TV markets, and how recently they've played in the Emerald Bowl or in the Bay Area. If they have a reputation for "traveling well"--bringing a lot of fans with them--that's a huge bonus.
Thanks for your question, and we join you in looking forward to another attractive matchup on Dec. 27.
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Q: What are the tiebreakers used to figure out which Pac-10 team goes to which bowl? Example - two teams have the same record for 4th in the Pac-10. Is it simply head to head? If more than two teams--say three teams--are tied for 4th, what determines who goes to the Emerald Bowl? Thanks, Derek A: Thanks for the question, Derek. The Pacific-10 Conference has a very elaborate tie-breaker formula for the conference championship, but when there are ties for other spots in the conference standings, there are no tie-breaker procedures in place and the bowl partners have flexibility in making their selections. This year, the Pac-10 bowl lineup is as follows: No. 1 - Rose No. 2 - Holiday No. 3 - Sun No. 4/5 - Las Vegas No. 4/5 - Emerald No. 6 - Hawaii No. 7 - Poinsettia If two teams are tied for second place, the Holiday can take either of the tied teams, and so on. Our case is unique in that the Emerald Bowl shares No. 4 and 5 with the Las Vegas Bowl. Each year, one of us has "priority." Las Vegas has the priority this year; we had it last year and will have it again in '09. So, to use your example, if two or more teams are tied for fourth in the league this year, there is no tie-breaker procedure to determine who goes where. We will consult with the Las Vegas Bowl and hopefully decide which team is the best fit for each bowl. If we want the same team, Las Vegas will get the first pick and we will take the other team (or, in the case of a three-way tie, whichever of the teams remain). There are a couple of other wrinkles in the Pac-10 bowl arrangements. The Sun Bowl, at No. 3, can exercise a "no repeat" clause and bypass the third place team. This happened last year when the Sun passed on Oregon State and we were fortunate enough to be able to select the Beavers. And if there is one team in fourth place and one or more teams in fifth, either Las Vegas or Emerald can choose a fifth place team, but then the other bowl must take the fourth place team. In other words, the two bowls cannot choose two teams tied for fifth and leave No. 4 behind. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Gary Cavalli, Executive Director gcavalli@emeraldbowl.org To ask your question click here.... ASK IT HERE
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