COLLEGE FOOTBALL / BOWL REPORT : Washington State to Take On Utah in a Chilly Copper Bowl

Nature dealt a blow to the already-staggering Weiser Lock Copper Bowl this week, dumping chilly rain on the area. That further dampened ticket sales, which means there will be a local television blackout for tonight’s matchup between Washington State and Utah.

Officials of the Copper Bowl, which has had three different sponsors in its four years, had hoped for attendance in the 45,000 range at the 56,739-seat Arizona Stadium. But lack of local fan interest and two days of steady rain have drenched those hopes.

Such concerns take on more significance for bowl games such as this one, with a new sponsor and a history of low turnout--average of 36,000 for the last three games. Officials had said last October that attendance might be the “make-or-break” factor for the Copper Bowl. That was after Domino’s Pizza ended its two-year sponsorship and before Weiser Lock, a Tucson hardware manufacturer, signed on for a two-year, $1-million deal.

Last year, bowl officials announced a $140,000 budget deficit and had to get an extension on a loan from the city to pay its bills. In fact, the Copper Bowl’s existence has been so uncertain that its first sponsor, BreathLess, a breath-spray company, bailed out in the bowl’s first year.

Larry Brown, the Copper Bowl’s executive director, now downplays the importance of attendance and claims the game is on solid financial footing. The bowl provides the NCAA minimum payout of $650,000 per team.

Not that Washington State or Utah is complaining, about the money or the weather. Utah (6-5) has been in only two previous bowl games, the last the 1964 Liberty Bowl. Washington State (8-3) tied for third in the Pacific 10 Conference and is ranked No. 18. Both teams have brought small but enthusiastic fan groups to a game that will pit the Utes’ talented wide receivers against the Cougars’ tough defense. Utah has three wide receivers who have caught more than 35 passes each this season.

Leading Washington State’s defense is linebacker Anthony McLanahan, whose 128 tackles were second in the Pac-10 this season.