The NCAA has "certified Austin to host a bowl game" for the '15 college football season, but organizers "don’t have a sponsor, stadium, date or a specific conference tie-in," according to Suzanne Halliburton of the AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. Austin Sports Commission Exec Dir Lance Aldridge said, "Everything is fluid." But Halliburton noted although the details "are fluid, the city's bid has progressed rapidly through the NCAA process." Aldridge said that he will "know within the next two to three weeks whether putting on a bowl in 2015 is feasible." Austin-based TicketCity.com Founder Randy Cohen said that the company is "still in talks to be the title sponsor" for the bowl. His company sponsored last year's Cactus Bowl in Arizona and "has been involved with games held at the Cotton Bowl." A report from CBSSports.com said that the bowl "would pit teams from the American Athletic Conference and the Sun Belt." But Aldridge said that despite that report, he "has no firm deals for conference tie-ins yet" (STATESMAN.com, 5/7). In Austin, Chad Swiatecki noted Aldridge "will handle the sponsorship, naming rights and broadcast deals for the game -- which he said he hopes to have finalized in the next three weeks" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 5/6).
BEARING DOWN: Arizona Sports & Entertainment Commission COO Alan Young said Wednesday that a would-be bowl in Tucson "is still seeking a title sponsor and contract to use Arizona Stadium." Young said that the bowl game "has an estimated budget" between $2-3M. In Arizona, Bruce Pascoe noted a sponsor is "needed to cover an unspecified chunk of that, with ticket and television revenue helping cover the rest." Young said that a “'number' of companies have been in talks to possibly sponsor the game, while the commission also has been seeking a contract" with the Univ. of Arizona to use its stadium. Young said that if the steps "aren’t completed by midsummer ... the bowl would not be held." It would "need to apply again for recertification" in '16. Young said that he "didn’t think that would be a problem" (ARIZONA DAILY STAR, 5/7).
