Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, August 5, 1994 TAG: 9408050086
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: GREENSBORO, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
Those bowls will alternate each year as the site of a matchup between the top two teams available. Champions from the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Twelve (formerly Big Eight) and Southeastern conferences will be involved, along with two at-large teams.
For next season only, the Southwest Conference winner will fill one of the two at-large berths.
The arrangement is for six years, with an escape clause after three years for the conferences.
After either the Orange (at Miami), the Sugar (at New Orleans) or the Fiesta (at Tempe, Ariz.) selects the top two teams, the other two bowls will be filled by alternating selections.
The bowl choices were made by a group of Division I-A conference commissioners after reviewing bids. The Gator Bowl also submitted a bid, but the biggest loser was the Cotton Bowl, considered one of the Big Four bowls for decades.
The Orange, Sugar and Fiesta will be Tier 1 bowls, with one each on Dec.31, Jan.1 and Jan.2.
The Orange Bowl reportedly bid $104 million, the Fiesta $118 million and the Sugar $98 million to get Tier 1 designations. The money comes from sponsorships and TV contracts.
The Rose Bowl, the oldest of the New Year's Day classics, is not part of the alliance and will continue to match the Big Ten and Pacific-10 champions on New Year's Day.
If a team from the Big Ten or Pacific-10 is ranked No.1 or No.2, a true championship game will not emerge from the alliance, which replaces the current bowl coalition.
The Cotton, traditionally played on New Year's Day, might disappear rather than accept a Tier 2 slot.
Dallas City Councilman Glenn Box said the Cotton Bowl was an ``all or nothing deal.'' Several city and game officials also said last week they didn't think Dallas would support a Tier 2 game.
by CNB