Freedom Bowl Is Close to Deal With Pacific 10

The Freedom Bowl is close to completing a deal with the Pacific 10 that would give the conference’s third-place finisher a guaranteed berth in the game at Anaheim Stadium, bowl director Don Andersen said Wednesday.

Andersen said he expects to announce a two-year contract between the Pac-10 and the Freedom Bowl late next week. Pac-10 athletic directors have already recommended the move, and all that remains is for the schools’ presidents to give their approval.

“I think it’s a step forward for us to be associated with one of the major conferences,” Andersen said. “It’s a step forward in that we have an excellent chance to get a USC, UCLA or Washington into the game again.”

Pac-10 teams have played in the Freedom Bowl five times in the game’s eight-year history with Washington having appeared twice. UCLA played at Anaheim once, defeating Brigham Young, 31-10, in 1986. USC has not made a Freedom Bowl appearance.

“We went through the last 15 years, and I think USC finished third three times, Washington three times and UCLA a couple of times,” Andersen said.

Andersen said an expected bowl alliance that would tie as many as six conference runner-ups to such bowls as the Blockbuster, Hancock, Gator and Hall of Fame and would include payouts of at least $1 million, moved the Freedom Bowl toward an alignment with the Pac-10.

“We didn’t want to be left to take the leftovers,” Andersen said. “Not only do we not want to be left out, we want to actively recruit the next best team. We think the Pac-10 fits us prestige-wise and ticket sales-wise.”

The Pac-10 team’s opponent will be an at-large team.