Friday, Dec. 26, 2003 | 10:11 a.m.
The 2003 Las Vegas Bowl had just about everything executive director Tina Kunzer-Murphy could ask for.
It had one of the best traveling teams in the Mountain West Conference in New Mexico. It had an Oregon State team from a cold-weather climate that was loaded with Las Vegas products, including superstar running back Steven Jackson. And, on paper anyway, it had what figured to be a competitive matchup with Oregon State getting bet all the way down to just a one-point favorite at some sportsbooks just prior to kickoff.
But the one thing the bowl lacked ... again ... was a good crowd.
Although the paid attendance for Las Vegas Bowl XII was announced as 25,437, only 18,031 fans actually went through the turnstiles at Sam Boyd Stadium on Wednesday night. And it didn't look as though nearly that many were on hand even if you counted the bands, players and concession people.
Turns out the move from Christmas Day to Christmas Eve night was met with a collective "Bah Humbug" by most Las Vegas football fans. In fact, you would have found a much longer line at the See's Candy store at the nearby Galleria Mall an hour before kickoff than the ticket line at Sam Boyd Stadium.
Heck, Las Vegas Bowl officials would have been happy to have a line simply as long as the two-foot long blond ponytail shooting out from beneath the helmet of Lobo placekicker Katie Hnida.
"I think the folks that said that Christmas Eve may have been an even tougher sell than Christmas Day ... I kind of feel like there's some credence to it," Kunzer-Murphy said.
The game that will go down in history as the one that the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Jackson tied the NCAA record for touchdowns in a bowl game (five) in a 55-14 Oregon State rout of the Lobos may also be the one that opened the eyes of Las Vegas Bowl officials when it comes to playing their game on Christmas or Christmas Eve.
"I have a feeling we're going to have a changed date (in 2004)," Kunzer-Murphy said. "I'm very confident that we're going to have a changed date.
"The 23rd (of December) is what I have in mind. A lot of our committee people were here at the game. Everybody has a different thought on it. We're going to have a meeting in January and see where we want to go with this."
A game on December 23rd next year would fall on a Thursday night which would bring the two teams and their fans in around Sunday the 19th or Monday the 20th, perennially some of the slowest days of the year for local hotels.
Kunzer-Murphy didn't rule out the possibility of moving the game until after Christmas as well.
"I think we have to look at all of those options," she said. "In the old days the days leading up to Christmas were regarded as some of the slowest for the hotels here. But I don't know if that is the case anymore. The town was packed this week. Maybe we can look into playing the game around the 27th or 28th."
Oregon State, normally one of the better bowl travel teams in the Pac-10, only sold about 3,000 of its required 8,000-ticket allotment. Several Beavers officials said that athletic director Bob De Carolis was considering bringing up the subject of getting the Las Vegas Bowl moved off the Christmas holidays at the next Pac-10 athletic directors meeting.
"He said he got a lot of e-mails from fans and boosters saying that we have to get off the holidays," Kunzer-Murphy admitted.
One of the reasons the Las Vegas Bowl, which was played as early as Dec. 14th in its formulative years, was moved back to Christmas was so it could link up with the Pac-10. The bowl has two more years on a contract to take the Pac-10's No. 5 team.
"The students don't get out until the 19th at Pac-10 schools because of final exams," Kunzer Murphy said. "The Mountain West Conference has a little more room to travel in that regard. So we moved it back. It's not a great travel day for people but the students don't miss any class."
Playing the game on Dec. 23rd might be the perfect answer. Teams wouldn't need to arrive until after finals and they could fly home on the morning on Christmas Eve.
"I would like to try and look at the 23rd," Kunzer-Murphy said. "I think the 23rd is a better date. It gives the students time to get out of class and you don't have to mess with Christmas Eve. You don't have to mess with Christmas Day."
The big question is will ESPN Regional, which owns the game and loves the Christmas TV ratings the game brings, be willing to move the contest?
"I've been on the phone with the TV people in Charlotte," Kunzer-Murphy said. "They know there's a concern. I think it was evident (with the crowd). We had a little less than last year, and UCLA didn't bring anyone. ... We're going to have to look really hard at trying to get a better day."
It's going to be a crucial next couple of months for the Las Vegas Bowl. Besides trying to get a better date for the game, the bowl's agreement to take the Mountain West's No. 2 team ends after 2004, and trying to wrestle away the MWC champ from the Liberty Bowl will be a top priority.
"I want this bowl to grow," Kunzer-Murphy said. "I want to fill this stadium. We start negotitations with the Mountain West in January. We don't want to stay where we are. This is such a great destination for a bowl game. Everybody loves it here. I want to see the bowl continue to move in the right direction. I want to increase our payout and get a title sponsor. I want to move up the pecking order with the Pac-10. Those are things I'll start working on now."
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