UCLA to Get Bid to Play Illinois in Hancock Bowl

A representative of the John Hancock Bowl said Wednesday that a bid will be extended to UCLA Sunday to play Illinois in the game at El Paso on Dec. 31.

Jimmy Rogers said UCLA will be offered an invitation whether it wins or loses against Oregon Saturday at the Rose Bowl.

NCAA rules prohibit extension of bowl bids until Sunday, but most bowl pairings have already been made.

UCLA officials say they will not comment until bids are official, but Athletic Director Peter Dalis had said earlier that the John Hancock Bowl was a strong possibility for the Bruins.

It will be UCLA’s first bowl appearance since 1989, when the Bruins beat Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl, 17-3.

Illinois is 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten, tied for third place with Ohio State and Indiana. UCLA has identical overall and Pacific 10 Conference records.

The teams played in the Rose Bowl in 1984, with UCLA defeating Illinois, 45-9.

The John Hancock Bowl is attractive to the Bruins because many of their players are from Texas, such as quarterback Tommy Maddox, tailback Kevin Williams, free safety Othello Henderson and linebacker James Malone.

Kickoff for the game, formerly the Sun Bowl, will be 11:30 a.m., PST, and it will be televised by CBS.

Illinois was selected for the John Hancock Bowl when Ohio State decided to play Syracuse in the Hall of Fame Bowl, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.