Sections Set Bowl Game on Dec. 18 : Football: Southern Section’s Division I champion will meet City’s 4-A winner.

After 20 years of discussion, a football game matching the Southern Section’s Division I champion and the City Section’s 4-A champion will be played Dec. 18, it was announced Tuesday.

The game, “The CIF/Reebok Bowl,” will be televised live and probably will be played at Anaheim Stadium with proceeds going to the State CIF and the Southern and City sections. Participating schools will receive a guaranteed $12,000.

Game organizers also announced a five-year contract with television station KCOP (Channel 13) that will generate another $395,000. KCOP will play $50,000 for television rights the first year and up to $100,000 in the final year.

“There have been a number of formal and informal moves to try to put this game together over the years,” said Hal Harkness, City Section commissioner. “But for whatever reason, the move was always unsuccessful, until this time.”

Stan Thomas, Southern Section commissioner, said the bowl game was approved in part because many high school districts are struggling under a reduced state budget.

“Athletics are being hit hard, and we foresee this game as a way of relieving the financial situation for some of our high schools,” Thomas said. “What a game we would have had last year. It was unfortunate that we couldn’t put the game together before now.”

Last year, Mater Dei drew 33,204 fans to Anaheim Stadium and grossed $196,488 for its Southern Section Division I championship game against Rialto Eisenhower. The Monarchs won, 35-14.

Dorsey defeated Banning, 33-30, for the City 4-A championship in front of 12,000 at El Camino College.

Administrators had hoped to schedule the first CIF Bowl last December, but organizers failed to sell advertising to televise the event so it was put on hold.

Bill Clark, Southern Section administrator, said a site for the game would be announced within a month, but added, “Anaheim Stadium is a strong contender, but we’re also considering the Coliseum and the Rose Bowl.”

State CIF Commissioner Tom Byrnes said a lot is riding on the game’s success.

“If this game is successful, I think you’ll see other sections in the state forming a bowl game,” he said. “This game could become the premier high school football game in the United States.”