O.C. Sports Assn. Chief Set to Tackle Bowl Issue : Athletics: Question of whether the game will live is a topic on the organization’s list of things to solve.

Jerry McGee, the new executive director of the Orange County Sports Assn., will begin his tenure dealing with the organization’s toughest task: the Freedom Bowl.

McGee, whose selection was announced Tuesday, will meet with the NCAA special events committee today to discuss the future of the Freedom Bowl. McGee said the Orange County group hoped to have a sponsor and other details worked out within a week.

“The Freedom Bowl has been an interesting beast,” McGee said. “We have not received any final commitments, but we have some strong ideas.”

The Freedom Bowl has been responsible for a large portion of the organization’s $1.7 million debt.

Poor attendance has plagued the Freedom Bowl during its 11-year existence. The game has a contact with the Western Athletic Conference and Pacific 10, with the WAC runner-up playing the Pac-10 third-place team. The 1994 game between Utah and Arizona drew 27,477, the smallest crowd since the inaugural game.

The organization also closed the Orange County Hall of Fame at Anaheim Stadium to the public in April and has been reorganizing. The hiring of McGee, who succeeds Don Andersen, is the latest step. Andersen resigned in March.

McGee is a vice president of the Lindquist Group, which took over management of the sports association in April. McGee previously worked in marketing for the Walt Disney Corp. and was hired by the Lindquist Group two weeks ago.

McGee will report to President Bob Hoyt and the organization’s executive committee.

“The (OCSA) needs to recognize its role of meeting the needs of the Orange County sports enthusiast,” McGee said. “We not only need to draw athletic events to the county, but also support those events that currently exist.”