01-02-2005, 12:36 AM
<a href='http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/10540585.htm' target='_blank'>Mercury News</a>
S.J. bowl proclaims a victory
ORGANIZER: SVFC TURNED PROFIT
By Jon Fortt
Mercury News
Rain fell, fuses blew, and the crowd was sparse. But in the end the Silicon Valley Football Classic was a financial and strategic success, organizers said Friday.
``The bowl was financially successful. It's a very viable bowl,'' chief organizer Greg Jamison said. ``Downtown restaurants reported that there was good activity at a time when there generally isn't much, and hotels reported 2,000 room nights -- that's the highest I think we've had.''
The matchup between Northern Illinois and Troy on Thursday night had all the markings of a disaster: Neither team is from the West Coast, few alumni from either school have settled in the Bay Area, and the game was scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. to accommodate ESPN2.
The previous four Silicon Valley games featured Fresno State, and thousands of fans came up from the Central Valley. This time, Jamison said, support from corporate sponsors helped make the game profitable.
Organizers distributed 21,456 tickets for the game at Spartan Stadium, many of them subsidized by businesses and charities. It appeared that many of those tickets didn't end up in the hands of spectators, though. One Mercury News staff member estimated that fewer than 10,000 attended. The Associated Press estimated the crowd at 5,000.
``How many people were in the stadium? I don't have that number,'' Jamison said. ``There were a number of no-shows probably attributable to the weather.''
One local resident who did show? San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales.
``He was indeed there last night. He said it was rainy, wet, cold,'' said the mayor's spokesman, David Vossbrink. ``He said he enjoyed the game. He was fortunate to be under a little bit of shelter there.''
The television audience was less fortunate. Two fuses on a high-voltage line at the stadium blew just before the game, delaying kickoff by 23 minutes and forcing ESPN2 to join the game late. Northern Illinois won 34-21 in a game that ended near midnight.
Despite the setbacks, Jamison said the bowl staff is gearing up for 2005. Executive Director Chris Hutchins will try to increase community awareness of the game early, Jamison said, ``which should allow it to become more of a yearlong event.''
The game needs some kind of boost. The NCAA Postseason Football Licensing Subcommittee's criteria for renewing a bowl's license include a minimum average crowd of 25,000, or 70 percent of the stadium's capacity, during the previous three years. Last year, attendance and TV ratings for the matchup between UCLA and Fresno State were the lowest of the 28 bowls played.
``I think one thing, too, is we have to remember the bowl is only 5 years old,'' Jamison said. ``It takes a while to get some of these things started, and you have to be patient.''
S.J. bowl proclaims a victory
ORGANIZER: SVFC TURNED PROFIT
By Jon Fortt
Mercury News
Rain fell, fuses blew, and the crowd was sparse. But in the end the Silicon Valley Football Classic was a financial and strategic success, organizers said Friday.
``The bowl was financially successful. It's a very viable bowl,'' chief organizer Greg Jamison said. ``Downtown restaurants reported that there was good activity at a time when there generally isn't much, and hotels reported 2,000 room nights -- that's the highest I think we've had.''
The matchup between Northern Illinois and Troy on Thursday night had all the markings of a disaster: Neither team is from the West Coast, few alumni from either school have settled in the Bay Area, and the game was scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. to accommodate ESPN2.
The previous four Silicon Valley games featured Fresno State, and thousands of fans came up from the Central Valley. This time, Jamison said, support from corporate sponsors helped make the game profitable.
Organizers distributed 21,456 tickets for the game at Spartan Stadium, many of them subsidized by businesses and charities. It appeared that many of those tickets didn't end up in the hands of spectators, though. One Mercury News staff member estimated that fewer than 10,000 attended. The Associated Press estimated the crowd at 5,000.
``How many people were in the stadium? I don't have that number,'' Jamison said. ``There were a number of no-shows probably attributable to the weather.''
One local resident who did show? San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales.
``He was indeed there last night. He said it was rainy, wet, cold,'' said the mayor's spokesman, David Vossbrink. ``He said he enjoyed the game. He was fortunate to be under a little bit of shelter there.''
The television audience was less fortunate. Two fuses on a high-voltage line at the stadium blew just before the game, delaying kickoff by 23 minutes and forcing ESPN2 to join the game late. Northern Illinois won 34-21 in a game that ended near midnight.
Despite the setbacks, Jamison said the bowl staff is gearing up for 2005. Executive Director Chris Hutchins will try to increase community awareness of the game early, Jamison said, ``which should allow it to become more of a yearlong event.''
The game needs some kind of boost. The NCAA Postseason Football Licensing Subcommittee's criteria for renewing a bowl's license include a minimum average crowd of 25,000, or 70 percent of the stadium's capacity, during the previous three years. Last year, attendance and TV ratings for the matchup between UCLA and Fresno State were the lowest of the 28 bowls played.
``I think one thing, too, is we have to remember the bowl is only 5 years old,'' Jamison said. ``It takes a while to get some of these things started, and you have to be patient.''