12 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, December 3,1999
FRIDAYFocus
01
OWLING
FOR,
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HISTORY: The Orange Bowl began Jan. 1,
1935, with Bucknell's 26-0 pasting of
Miami, Fla. The game has since determined
four national champions in this decade.
CURRENT MATCHUP: No. 9 Michigan vs.
the winner of Saturday's Alabama-Florida
SEC Championship game.
LAST YEAR: Florida 31, Syracuse 10
MOST RECENT MICHIGAN VISIT: 1976: No.
4 Michigan fell to No. 2 Oklahoma, 14-6,
in the Big Ten's first-ever non-Rose Bowl
postseason appearance.
Ever since 1902, when the organizers of the Tournament of Roses decided to spice
things up a but with a college football game, bowl games have been about more than
just a warm place to play a football game.
THE BIG TEN's BOWLS
6Citrus
HISTORY: Started in 1947 as the Tangerine
Bowl. The title of the game was changed
to the Citrus Bowl in T981 and has been a
New Year's Day fixture since 1987.
CURRENT MATCHUP: No. 10 Michigan
State (Big Ten No. 2) vs. Florida-Alabama
loser (SEC No. 2).
LAST YEAR: Michigan 45, Arkansas 31
MOST RECENT MICHIGAN VISIT: 1999,
when Michigan scored three touchdowns
in game's final six minutes to register a
corneback victory in its first-ever matchup
against Arkansas.
Outback
HISTORY: The bowl began in 1986 as the
Hall of Fame Bowl and then assumed its
current meaty sponsorship in 1996.
CURRENT MATCHUP: No. 19 Purdue
Ten No. 3) vs. SEC No. 3 (most likely1
16 Mississippi State).
(Big
No.
LAST YEAR: Penn State 26, Kentucky 14.
MOST RECENT MICHIGAN VISIT: 1997 -
Behind an 88-yard interception return by
linebacker Dwayne Rudd, Alabama beat
Michigan, 17-14 The Wolverines finished
the season 8-4.
Alamo
HISTORY: The bowl game started in 1993,
and since then, has seen some pretty for-
gettable games with the exception of last
year's Purdue-Kansas State thriller.
CURRENT MATCHUP: No. 14 Penn State
(Big Ten No. 4) vs.No. 18 Texas A&M (Big
12 No. 4)
LAST YEAR: Purdue 37, Kansas State 34 .
MOST RECENT MICHIGAN VISIT: 1995 -
As Michigan's current fifth-year seniors
looked on as redshirt freshmen, the
Wolverines dropped a 22-20 decision to
Texas A&M.
Sun
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By Marta Brid
Daily Staff Reporter
It all comes back to the money.
All season long, football coaches stru
games, improve their record and land th
one of 23 bowl games. Just one game
national title, the Sugar Bowl in New Orle
4.
So why are there so many different b
They don't make up a tournament or play
do not advance to the next round if they
tain amount of prestige may come with a
ry, but in the end, bowl games are ultim
itable.
This year, each team in the Big Ten sta
at least $750,000 from Michigan's particip
Orange Bowl, said Michigan Assista
Director Bruce Madej.
This is because the Big Ten divides al
enue equally amongst the 11 schools in
ence. Even teams not invited to play in a
such as Ohio State, will receive the same
each other team.
With seven Big Ten teams playing in b
this year, that's a great deal. Two of th
Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl and Micl
Orange Bowl, are playing in one of the fo
Bowl Championship Series games.
"It benefits the conference and it also
: student-athletes because they have the ex
playing in a bowl game," said Lisa Jusc
Ten's Communications director.
The BCS is an organization that links c
ball's six most powerful conferences, the B
Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big
Southeastern Conference, the Big 12 and
It sponsors four bowls, which get to pick t
those conferences based on a complicat
known as the BCS rankings. The rankings
based on eight computer rankings and t
the Associated Press poll and the ESPN/
Coaches' Poll.
BCS games - the Orange Bowl, the F
the Sugar Bowl and the Rose Bowl - pay
ing schools anywhere from $11 million 1
lion- Madei said.
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HISTORY: The first Sun Bowl, played Jan.
1, 1935, saw El Paso High School All-Stars
beat Ranger, Tex. 25-21. The next year, the
game was made into a collegiate event. It
was the Hancock Bowl from 1989 until
1996.
CURRENT MATCHUP: No. 13 Minnesota
(Big Ten No. 5) vs. Oregon (Pac-19 No. 3).
LAST YEAR: Texas Christian 28, USC 19
MOST RECENT MICHIGAN VISIT: Michigan
has never been to the Sun Bowl.
FUN FACTS: The Sun Bowl, along with the
Orange and Sugar, is second in longevity to
the Rose Bowl.
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iesta Bowl,
participat-
to $13 mil-
Since the Fiesta was last year's national championship
game, it paid out more than the other BCS games, but
not much more. Second-tier bowls, such as the Citrus
or the Outback, pay closer to $100,000 than the $1
million or so of a BCS bowl.
Every year, Michigan - and the other 10 schools
- get a piece of the profits of the Rose Bowl, which
this year will total $1.4 million each, Juscik said. Since
the Big Ten champ usually plays the Pac-10 champ,
it's a sum of money that both conferences can count
on year after year.
Even if teams from other conferences with BCS ties
play in the Rose Bowl, the Big Ten's payout is guar-
anteed. For example, every four years, the Rose Bowl
will host the teams ranked No. I and No. 2 in the BCS
rankings. If those teams aren't in the Big Ten or the
Pac-10, other BCS bowls will take the Big Ten and
Pac-10 champs.
The University's Athletic Department depends on
those guaranteed funds, raised largely through bowl
sponsors and ticket sales. The Department does not
receive funds from students or the State of Michigan,
and uses the revenue raised in bowl games to build
and maintain facilities and provide teams with uni-
forms and equipment, Madej said. It is also put
towards athletic scholarship funds.
But profits don't just come from the money that the
bowls pay to schools, Pac-l0 Assistant Commissioner
Jim Muldoon said.
"Bowls are very helpful for universities in fundrais-
ing," he said.
Bowl games give an opportunity for fans and alum-
ni to rally around their team, Muldoon said. The
enthusiasm and excitement of winning a bowl game
increases the donations made to the school.
Other benefits, Muldoon said, are national expo-
sure, which ultimately helps in recruiting, and the
lengthening of the season.
Teams also get to practice for a close to a month
longer than teams not playing in bowl games,
Muldoon said. This strengthens the team for next year.
The Pac-10 conference also divides all revenue
made from bowl games amongst the members of the
conference.
"It's one of the reasons you are in a conference,
every team benefits" Muldoon said, adding that snlit-
THE BCS BOWLS
sug
HISTORY: The Sugar Bowl has assumed
national prominence since beginning in
1935, deciding eight national champions
since 1972.
CURRENT MATCHUP: No. 1 Florida State
vs. No. 2 Virginia Tech
LAST YEAR: Ohio State 24, Texas A&M 14
MOST RECENT MICHIGAN VISIT: 1984 -
the Wolverines kept Auburn's potent
offense, led by Bo Jackson, out of the end
zone, but lost, 9-7, thanks to three Al Del
Greco field goal.
Fiesta
HISTORY: The Fiesta Bowl started in
January 1971, and has hosted four national
championship games since 1987, including
Tennessee's 23-16 victory over Florida State
last season.
CURRENT MATCHUP: No. 6 Tennessee vs.
Big 12 Champion
LAST YEAR: Tennessee 23, Florida State 16
MOST RECENT MICHIGAN VISIT: 1986:
The Wolverines, led by quarterback Jim
Harbaugh, beat Nebraska, 27-23, for their
first bowl victory since 1981.
SRose
0
HISTORY: In the first bowl game ever -
hence it's nickname, "The Granddaddy of
Them All,"- Michigan crushes Stanford,
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