Fiesta Bowl Tries to Get NCAA to Allow an Overtime

Fiesta Bowl officials will ask the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. to authorize an overtime should No. 1-ranked Miami and No. 2-ranked Penn State tie in their game, which is being billed as a matchup for the national title.

Spokesman Tony Alba said Thursday that officials of the Jan. 2 bowl game were drafting a formal request, which would be submitted to the NCAA either today or Monday.

NCAA spokesman Bob Minnix rejected the overtime idea earlier this week, although Fiesta Bowl officials had submitted no formal request. Minnix said NCAA rules allow overtimes in only one of two situations--progressive postseason playoffs or games for a national championship.

“Even though Penn State-Miami is being viewed as a national championship, as far as the NCAA is concerned, they are just two teams playing in a bowl game,” Minnix said. “We’re viewing the Fiesta Bowl as no more or no less than any other bowl game.”

Phoenix attorney Don Meyers, chairman of the Fiesta Bowl selection committee, said the formal request for overtime would be based on the claim that the contest is a national championship game. He said the NCAA, for some purposes, recognizes as national champion the team selected No. 1 in the final ratings of the Associated Press and United Press International.

As an example, Meyers said the NCAA allows schools to spend up to $300 each for rings for players on bowl teams and allows a school an additional $300 per ring if the team is declared national champion by either of the wire services.