NCAA Approves Football Bowl Games For DC, St. Petersburg

ANOTHER FLORIDA GAME: In St. Petersburg, Greg Auman reports the St. Petersburg Bowl will debut sometime between December 20-23 at Tropicana Field and will feature teams from the Big East and Conference USA. ESPN Regional will own and operate the game, marking the sixth bowl game the broadcaster will own. Tickets for the game will cost $30, and organizers will "seek a corporate title sponsor who likely will pay" between $350,000-$500,000 annually (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 5/1).

WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR: In Utah, Dirk Facer reports the NCAA subcommittee asked the Rocky Mountain Bowl LLC group, which submitted the bid, to "re-apply for certification next year." The December game would have featured teams from the WAC and Mountain West Conference at the Univ. of Utah's Rice-Eccles Stadium (DESERET NEWS, 5/1). NCAA Assistant Coordinator of Public & Media Relations Dana Thomas said that officials were "concerned there was a lack of financial support in Salt Late City" for the bowl (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 5/1).

EXTRA INGREDIENTS: In Birmingham, Jon Solomon reports the NCAA yesterday also approved the recertification of the Papajohns.com Bowl, to be played on December 29 with an SEC-Big East pairing, "ending the ESPN-owned game's two-year relationship with Conference USA." The St. Petersburg Bowl will now get the C-USA team that previously was pegged for this game. The bowl will receive the SEC's lowest bowl-eligible team, and tickets to the game at Legion Field will jump to $40, up from $30 in both '06 and '07 (BIRMINGHAM NEWS, 5/1).

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