Sports: Hawaii Bowl makes Bulls its at-large option

Hawaii Bowl makes Bulls its at-large option

C-USA moves to assure USF of berth in Dec. 25 bowl if Cincinnati loses.

By PETE YOUNG, Times Staff Writer

TAMPA -- It's official: South Florida football fans can begin rallying their support for East Carolina and checking flights to Honolulu.

Conference USA and the Hawaii Bowl agreed Wednesday to award a berth in the Dec. 25 bowl game to USF if C-USA comes up short of bowl-eligible teams.

One thing needs to happen for the Bulls to spend Christmas in Hawaii playing in their maiden bowl game: East Carolina (4-7) must beat Cincinnati (6-6), preventing the Bearcats from becoming bowl eligible. ESPN2 is airing the 7 p.m. Friday game, and visiting Cincinnati is a 71/2-point favorite.

"At least a provisional is in place, and we're excited about that," USF athletic director Lee Roy Selmon said. "We're thankful to the conference for their support for what is perhaps an opportunity. We know there's a game yet to be played."

As an independent without name recognition, the sixth-year Bulls have had little clout with the revenue- and conference-driven bowls despite a 9-2 record and No. 24 BCS ranking, according to collegebcs.com. Also, the NCAA made it easier last month for major conferences to make 11th-hour contingency deals with bowls and scoop up the few at-large berths.

C-USA negotiated with ESPN Regional, the owner of the Hawaii Bowl, on USF's behalf to fill the vacancy should Cincinnati lose.

"It's great for the league and South Florida, knowing they have a legitimate chance," C-USA assistant commissioner Brian Teter said. "It's a clear picture no matter what the outcome Friday."

Pete Derzis, senior vice president for ESPN Regional, has been following USF for six years. A former assistant athletic director at UAB, Derzis is friends with former USF athletic director Paul Griffin and attended USF's inaugural game in 1997 as a guest of Griffin's. Also, ESPN Regional owns all of the multimedia rights to USF sports and has an office adjacent to the Sun Dome.

"We have tremendous respect for what coach (Jim) Leavitt has done," Derzis said. "The feeling all along has been that USF would be a viable (C-USA) team (for the Hawaii Bowl) even though they're not a full member until next season."

If Cincinnati wins, it goes to the New Orleans Bowl and Tulane goes to Hawaii. If Cincinnati loses, Tulane plays in New Orleans and the Bulls play Hawaii (9-3) in the inaugural Hawaii Bowl in Aloha Stadium. It will be televised by ESPN2 at 8 p.m. Christmas Day.

Leavitt was an assistant at Kansas State in 1994 when it played in the Aloha Bowl in Hawaii.

"We're hopeful," Leavitt said. "It's beautiful out there, but we'd be going to play a football game, and we'll want to play well and win."

The Hawaii Bowl has a payout of $750,000 to each team, the bowl minimum. As part of Wednesday's agreement, Teter and Selmon said the Bulls would share an undisclosed, to-be-determined percentage of the payout with C-USA, and C-USA would help the Bulls cover travel costs.

Selmon said USF and C-USA would be responsible for a minimum amount of tickets, a figure he estimated at 10,000.

"Each bowl has its minimums, but we've been able to work through all of that," Selmon said. "We're inviting as much help as we can. I don't have any specific (sponsor or booster) names to throw out there right now, but we want as many ticket purchasers as we can possibly get.

"It's Hawaii, and that's exciting. We'll ask our community to step up, as they have since we began this endeavor."

USF was 4-0 against C-USA schools this season, including a 46-30 win Oct. 16 at East Carolina. Now, they are the Pirates' biggest fans, and Wednesday's news created a palpable buoyancy at practice.

"I was just telling Coach Leavitt, 'A few weeks ago we were game-planning to beat (East Carolina),' " quarterback Marquel Blackwell said. "Now, we're rooting for them."

Should Cincinnati win and deny the Bulls, there are two others with at-large berths available, the Motor City Bowl and Seattle Bowl. Selmon said he spoke with the Motor City Bowl on Wednesday.

"We're on their radar screen," he said. "That's about as far as they can commit to us right now."

The Seattle Bowl has said it wants a Pac-10 team for its at-large berth, but if USC and Washington State both play in the BCS, the Pac-10 will not have a surplus bowl-eligible team and USF could become a candidate.

LEAVITT RUMORS: Selmon said he will meet with Leavitt to renegotiate his contract (which expires in 2005) after the bowl situation is cleared up, but that hasn't prevented Leavitt from being rumored as a replacement elsewhere.

WILX-TV in Lansing, Mich., reported Tuesday that Michigan State athletic director Ron Mason was in Florida recently and spoke with Leavitt about the Spartans' coaching vacancy.

Leavitt said Wednesday he has had no contact with Mason or anyone representing Michigan State. Selmon said he has not been contacted by any school about speaking with Leavitt.