Lobos fans could be out in force at this year’s game

Steve Guiremand

Friday, Dec. 12, 2003 | 10:19 a.m.

Perhaps moving the Las Vegas Bowl from Christmas Day to Christmas Eve wasn't such a bad idea afterall.

School officials from New Mexico, which lost to UCLA, 27-13, in last year's Christmas Day game, say they are well ahead of last year's ticket selling pace when the school sold 4,571 tickets to the contest.

"We've sold twice as many tickets as we did last year already," Lobos coach Rocky Long said during the Las Vegas Bowl's official invitation luncheon at the ESPN Zone at New York-New York Hotel & Casino.

Oregon State, which will face the Lobos, is hoping to sell about 4,000 of its mandatory 8,000-ticket allotment which would be about double what UCLA sold a year ago.

"We're excited to bring our Beaver Nation here," Oregon State head coach Mike Riley said.

And Las Vegas Bowl executive director Tina Kunzer-Muphy said more than 6,700 tickets have been sold locally for the contest which will kick off at 4:30 p.m. at Sam Boyd Stadium and will be televised nationally by ESPN.

"You know, I'm not surprised," Kunzer-Murphy said of the early ticket sales.

Kunzer-Murphy believes a lot of Lobos fans enjoyed their trip to Las Vegas for last year's game and are eager to return for another Christmas in Las Vegas.

"I really think (New Mexico) was the right choice for us because they had done it last year," she said. "I think what happened is that those people went back home and said, 'We had a great time, bring your families, stay in Las Vegas on Christmas, and then go home.' And now, with the move to Christmas Eve, they can actually be home for Christmas.

"I'm anticipating a great crowd and I'm excited about it. I've heard a lot about Beaver Nation and I'm hoping it shows up on Christmas Eve here."

Perhaps the best news so far is the fact that local ticket sales have perked up.

"We're higher than we have ever been," she said. "We were at 6,700 on Wednesday. We've had a lot of corporations that have stepped up and bought tickets and then are distributing them to high schools, charities and youth groups around the city."

Kunzer-Murphy said she would be "happy" to have a crowd of about 25,000 at the game. Last year's announced paid attendance was 30,324 although only about 20,000 actual fans showed up.

"It all depends on the weather," she said. "Knock on wood, we've been known to have great weather for the game."

Considering that UNLV isn't in the game and also the date of the contest, an actual in-house crowd of 25,000 would indeed make for a very Merry Christmas for Las Vegas Bowl officials.

"We're still a young bowl," Kunzer-Murphy said. "We've had it a number of different days in the past. We're moving it around. We're going to find that perfect day. It could be early in the morning of the 24th or maybe on the 23rd. The goal of the committee is to find out what works the best for everyone involved."

This is the first time in 57 years that New Mexico has played in back-to-back bowl games. The last time that happened was in 1946 and 1947. "So we're not spoiled," New Mexico athletic director Rudy Davalos said. "We enjoy these things. Our players love it. Our coaches love it. Our fans love it." Davalos said Las Vegas is the No. 1 travel destination for people who live in the Albuquerque area which is only about an eight-hour drive away. "They were a little hacked off at the Mountain West Conference for moving the basketball tournament from Las Vegas to Denver," he said.

New Mexico will stay at the Golden Nugget Hotel for the second consecutive year and work out on the practice fields on the north side of Sam Boyd Stadium. Oregon State will stay at the Luxor Hotel and will work out at UNLV. Both teams are expected in town by next Friday. ... Besides Long and Riley, both schools brought their all-conference running backs to the luncheon. That meant that both New Mexico's DonTrell Moore and Oregon State's Steven Jackson, an Eldorado High product, got to pose for pictures with a couple of showgirls before flying home. Not a bad break from final exams.