NCAA Doesn’t Make Freedom Bowl’s Day : New Criteria for Postseason Bowls Will Cost Anaheim Game Money and Time

The National Collegiate Athletic Assn., whose record in the courts recently would make it a candidate for Steve Harvey’s Bottom 10, has passed some legislation that changes the certification requirements for 1986 post-season bowl games.

The primary new criteria is a $1.5 million letter of credit that must accompany each bowl application. The rule is designed to make it more difficult for new bowls to qualify and, the NCAA hopes, reduce chances of antitrust suits regarding its bowl sanctioning process.

Tom Starr, the Freedom Bowl executive director, said the new standards will mean more paper work and cost existing bowls between $15,000 and $20,000 a year (the price of obtaining the letter of credit). He doesn’t think it presents an obstacle for future Freedom Bowls, however.

“I don’t see a problem,” Starr said. “It’s just another expense for bowls and that’s what all the bowl directors are complaining about right now, because you have to pay for a letter of credit.”

Mike Glazier, the NCAA assistant director of enforcement, said the changes were made “basically to insure that competing institutions in each game get paid.”

But Mike Lude, chairman of the NCAA postseason football committee, admitted that “quite frankly, the new criteria is more for newer bowls than some of the others like the Rose Bowl, that have been established since the beginning of time.”

Other new criteria sent out to bowl directors last month include:

--Applications must be accompanied with letters of reference from 10 university presidents whose institutions have competed in a bowl game within five years saying that they believe the bowl is in the best interest of intercollegiate football, a rule Starr says is “make-work stuff.”

--Confirmation of minimum payments to participating schools in the previous year’s game.

--Raising the minimum payment to competing institutions from $400,000 to $500,000.

--Applications must also be accompanied with a letter of credit from the television syndicator (the amount may be subtracted from the $1.5 million guarantee).

That’s one requirement Starr wishes had been established last year. Metrosports, which telecast the inaugural Freedom Bowl, filed for bankruptcy and defaulted on payments to the Freedom Bowl, the Aloha Bowl, the Big Ten, Pac 10 and others.

The Freedom Bowl lost $340,000 as a result and was forced to take out bank loans to meet its obligations to Iowa and Texas, the teams involved in the game.

“We got a loan to cover it, but that was the biggest blow of the year,” Starr said. “A lot of people talked about the rain hurting the attendance (24,093) and everything, but that was the biggest blow, especially in our first year.”

The Freedom Bowl and others have filed suit against Metrosports, but Starr is not especially optimistic about recovering the promised funds.

“We’re not gonna roll over,” he said. “We’re checking all avenues, but we’re in a long line. Quite honestly, losing that TV revenue really set us back a little bit. But we’re okay . . . obviously, because we’re proceeding with this year’s game.”

The 1985 Freedom Bowl will be televised by Lorimar Sports Network, a subsidiary of Lorimar Productions, the firm which produces “Dallas,” “Falcon Crest,” and “Knot’s Landing,” so Starr is not concerned about a repeat of last year’s problems.

His biggest worry at this point is promoting the Dec. 30 game and hoping the weather doesn’t put a damper on this year’s postseason party at Anaheim Stadium.

“I can assure you that if they have another crowd similar to last year there will be questions asked,” Lude said. “If it’s not gonna draw, than it’s not in best interest of intercollegiate football.”

Most bowl directors may consider the new criteria an expensive nuisance, but Starr says he understands the NCAA’s concern.

“We’re seeing a change here,” Starr said. “The NCAA is changing directions a little bit and trying to control bowls in a slightly different manner.”