Freedom Bowl Signs New Sponsor

The Freedom Bowl received some financial relief Monday with the addition of Bank of America as a presenting sponsor, signing a two-year deal that will pump “in excess of six figures,” into the postseason college football game in Anaheim Stadium.

With expenses rising--the NCAA increased its minimum bowl-game payout from $500,000 per team in 1991 to $750,000 this year--and gate receipts fluctuating from year to year, the Freedom Bowl’s budget deficit has risen to about $1 million.

But the presenting sponsorship should enable the Freedom Bowl to at least cover annual expenses and prevent the deficit from growing, according to Don Andersen, executive director of the Orange County Sports Assn.

“With ticket sales from the two conferences (Pacific 10 and Western Athletic), the television contract (with Raycom) and the Bank of America deal, it guarantees that we’re going to cover all our payments,” Andersen said. “There’s a certain comfort in that, obviously.”

Andersen said the Freedom Bowl, which will be played for the 11th time Dec. 27, was not in danger of being discontinued like the Pigskin Classic, the preseason game that recently lost its title sponsorship from Disneyland and will not return to Anaheim Stadium.

“But this keeps us out of that range,” said Andersen, who is still seeking a title sponsor for the Freedom Bowl. “Down the line we could have gotten into that position. This puts us over the hump. It’s a real step forward for the game.”

This year’s Freedom Bowl will feature Utah (9-2) against either Arizona or Washington State. The outcomes of Arizona’s game against Arizona State Friday night in Tucson and the USC-Notre Dame game Saturday in Los Angeles will determine the the Utes’ opponent.

The Utes, No. 13 in the CNN-USA Today coaches poll, are the highest ranked team to play in the game, and their record equals the previous Freedom Bowl-best of Tulsa, which was 9-2 entering the 1991 game against San Diego State.