Thursday, November 29, 2001
Chance of bowl shuffle for UC
Motor City may want Michigan St.
By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Word out of Detroit that the Motor City Bowl would like to invite Michigan State must feel like a chop block for University of Cincinnati football fans.
UC had gone to the Motor City Bowl last year and was a favorite for a return invitation this year, given the school's proximity to the Pontiac, Mich., site compared to other Conference USA-affiliated bowls.
But former Michigan State coach George Perles, director of the Motor City, told the Detroit News,“We would love to have the Spartans” to play against the contracted Mid-American Conference representative, Toledo.
Michigan State (5-5) won't be bowl-eligible unless it wins Saturday against Missouri in East Lansing, and UC would need a berth in another bowl.
“There are talks,” C-USA commissioner Mike Slive said Wednesday. "But usually after all the talking, we go back to what we agreed to in the first place.”
C-USA has four bowl contracts. Conference champion Louisville is going to the Liberty Bowl, and UC coach Rick Minter said the Bearcats already have been released from the GMAC Bowl in Mobile. Besides the Motor City, that leaves the galleryfurniture.com Bowl in Houston — which might find nearby Texas Christian a more attractive option, if the Horned Frogs beat Southern Miss tonight and become bowl-eligible. And there's the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho, which has an at-large spot — and which invited UC after the 1997 season.
“The main thing we're concerned with is that we go somewhere,” Minter said. “There are going to be a dozen bowl-eligible teams sitting home.”
UC athletic director Bob Goin said the Motor City Bowl has to take a C-USA team unless another bowl has an opening for one.
“I can see the attractiveness of having Michigan State in Detroit, but I don't see that happening,” Goin said. “I don't think that's an issue. I think the four (C-USA) teams are going to be in four conference bowls.”
UC would prefer the Motor City to the Humanitarian because the Motor City is an easier trip. UC drew 11,000 last year to the Motor City Bowl. Bill Mulvihill, senior associate athletic director for development, said fewer than 1,000 traveled to Boise for UC's last Humanitarian Bowl appearance.
“One of the challenges when you go (to Idaho) is, it's the height of ski season, so sometimes it's a challenge just to travel there,” Mulvihill said.
UC is tied for second in C-USA with East Carolina and Alabama-Birmingham. Southern Miss and TCU also are in the mix.
Toledo, with its proximity to Pontiac, is expected to draw well at the Motor City Bowl. With Michigan State, the Silverdome could sell out. MSU athletic director Clarence Underwood said the Spartans will go to the Motor City if invited.
Last year's Motor City Bowl between Marshall and UC drew 52,911, the lowest in the event's four-year history.
“But Cincinnati did a great job,” executive director Ken Hoffman said. “They far exceeded what we expected.”
Marshall, 7-5 and playing in its fourth straight Motor City, did not draw well.
“This time of year, there are a lot of discussions,” Hoffman said. “Trades, if you will. Almost invariably, those discussions do not bear fruit. But you owe it to yourself to talk about it.”
Enquirer staff reporter Michael Perry contributed to this report.
Bearcats Stories
A couple of catchin' cousins
Bengals box won in drawing
Rackers remains in place
Bengals notebook
NFL notebook
Bainum shares Ohio offensive player award
St. X prepares to hit road
St. X game on basic cable
Balanced effort leads XU to rout
Xavier-Miami notebook
Vanderbilt drubs Xavier women 78-56
UK learns about itself in win
SULLIVAN: Is game getting too pricey?
Cyclones lose third game in row
Ducks beat Barons to win fifth straight
Franklin 62, Mount St. Joseph 58
Thomas More 68, Ohio Wesleyan 66
Area colleges notebook
College basketball roundup
College football notebook
NBA roundup
NHL roundup
Coming up this week
Chance of bowl shuffle for UC
