Glendale, Riverside Play in PONY Bowl

Glendale College, the nation’s No. 1-ranked team and Riverside, ranked 10th, have agreed to play in the sixth annual PONY Bowl Dec. 6, marking the first time an Orange County school has not been in the postseason game held in Costa Mesa’s LeBard Stadium.

Glendale (10-0), the Western State Conference champion, turned down an invitation Monday to play in the Potato Bowl in Bakersfield Dec. 6. Riverside (8-1) has clinched the Mission Conference with one game left.

“Everybody thinks of the game as one between Saddleback and the South Coast Conference champs,” said Keith Calkins, game manager and a Saddleback athletic department official. “But it is really a bowl to promote the best teams in Southern California. The game just happens to be played in Orange County.”

Last year, Saddleback defeated Fullerton, 32-13, and was voted co-national champions with Snow College, Utah.

Monday’s announcement by the bowl committee also put an end to speculation that Golden West would get the bid.

The Rustlers won their first seven games this season, but have lost two straight.

It also will be the first time Saddleback College has missed a PONY Bowl berth. Saddleback (4-4, 4-6) forfeited three games this year because it used an ineligible player.