Sugar Bowl moving to Atlanta or Baton Rouge

Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2005 | 9:24 a.m.

SUN WIRE SERVICES

Atlanta's Georgia Dome will host the Jan. 2 Sugar Bowl if LSU's Tiger Stadium is unable to, the game's executive director said Tuesday.

Paul Hoolahan said he'd prefer to keep the game, which has been played at the Louisiana Superdome, in hurricane-ravaged Louisiana. But that's only if there are enough hotel rooms and city services available to accommodate visitors.

Hoolahan said he's met this week with officials from the Atlanta Sports Council, the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and the Georgia Dome. All assured him that if the Sugar Bowl wants to move, the city is ready.

A decision will be made by Oct. 7.

"They host the SEC championship game every year. These people know the drill," Hoolahan said of Atlanta. "The city can provide the hotel rooms, the transportation and the venues for entertainment that we need. That is why it is such a viable option."

If the Sugar Bowl moves to Atlanta, that would give the Georgia Dome three big games in the span of four days. The Peach Bowl, matching teams from the SEC and ACC, will be played on Dec. 30. The Falcons have a home game on Jan. 1 with Carolina. Kickoff for the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2 would be 8 p.m.

If it does not play in the BCS title game in the Rose Bowl, the SEC champion would serve as the host team for the Sugar Bowl.

Atlanta, which has hosted every major sporting event, has more than enough resources to handle all those games in such a short period of time, said Gary Stokan, president of the Atlanta Sports Council.

"Right now we're simply taking the position that we want to reach out and help our friends at the Sugar Bowl in any way we can," Stokan said. "If they need us, we will be ready."

Forecasters are predicting that if the storm continues on its current path, it would reach College Station about 6 p.m. Saturday, which is when the A&M-Texas State game is slated to kick off. College Station is 150 miles from the Texas Gulf Coast.

Texas A&M President Robert Gates will decide whether to reschedule the game by noon today.

"All this started late last night when we heard the weather forecast," Aggies coach Dennis Franchione said Tuesday. "I don't know how to tell you what the chances (of rescheduling the game) are, but I would say with the forecast they're good. We're preparing for that as a distinct possibility."

"If I had to guess after practice today, I would say we might see two quarterbacks in the game Saturday," Gailey said, referring to Ball and backup Taylor Bennett.

Ball, who is recovering from viral meningitis, warmed up his throwing arm and took a couple of snaps with the offense, but he didn't do any heavy physical activity and didn't break a sweat. Gailey said coaches held Ball back because of the heat but hope to increase his activity day by day.

"He was mad we didn't let him out there more," Gailey said.

After being routed at Georgia and losing on a late field goal at Oregon State, Boise State (0-2) returns to Bronco Stadium facing a major challenge in attempting to extend the nation's longest home winning streak. Boise State has won 25 in a row at home, its last loss coming in 2001 to Washington State, and 39 of its last 40.

The rare Wednesday game is also a chance for Bowling Green (1-1) quarterback Omar Jacobs to display his remarkable efficiency in a nationally televised game.

Jacobs led the country with 41 TD passes last year and has started this season on a similar pace. The 6-foot-4 junior threw five touchdown passes at Wisconsin in the opener, and followed that with five more in the Falcons' 40-31 win over Ball State. He is averaging 443 passing yards per game.