The Las Vegas Bowl is "scrambling to find a new title
sponsor, and hopes to finalize a deal within the next two
months," according to Mark Anderson of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-
JOURNAL, who writes that the game lost EA Sports as co-title
sponsor in May. EA Sports and the Las Vegas Convention &
Visitors Authority (LVCVA) co-sponsored last year's game at
Sam Boyd Stadium, "with each contributing between $300,000
and $400,000." Meanwhile, Las Vegas Bowl Dir Tina Kunzer-
Murphy said even if another title sponsor is not secured,
the LVCVA "would not increase" its bowl payout. She added
that a new title sponsor would either "share the financial
burden" with the LVCVA or "take it over completely."
Anderson notes that EA Sports' deal with the bowl was for
one year with a two-year option. Kunzer-Murphy, on the
split: "It's disappointing they pulled out. More
disappointing than anything is the timing. But we'll be
fine." Kunzer-Murphy added that while some at EA Sports
wanted to continue with the bowl deal, "They didn't have the
money to do it" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 9/13).
