Group Fails to Save ’95 Game : College football: Organizers of Big Orange Classic, formerly known as Freedom Bowl, come up short of funds.

Organizers of the Big Orange Classic failed to secure necessary funding for the game Thursday, crushing efforts to continue the college football bowl this season and probably signaling its end.

The Orange County Sports Assn.--which had organized the game played the last 11 years at Anaheim Stadium--was forced to revise a proposal to have the NCAA certify the game after learning the needed funds would not be allocated.

“We had reason to believe that we were very close to securing the necessary dollars to have the game in ‘95,” said Jerry McGee, the sports association’s executive director. “Obviously we’re disappointed, but we knew many things needed to fall perfectly in place.”

During a conference call Thursday with NCAA officials in Overland Park, Kan., the Orange County group was told the game--known until this year as the Freedom Bowl--will be considered again for certification in 1996. The NCAA Special Events Committee will consider the request when it is scheduled to reconvene in late April.

“We’re disappointed with the fact there is one less bowl game in the West,” NCAA Assistant Executive Director David Cawood said. “It’s two less spots that are available and there is no way of getting around that.”

Had the Special Events Committee denied the request, the OCSA would have had to begin the certification process as a newcomer. The initial certification process mandates a two-year waiting period for play after committee approval.

The Orange County Tourism Consortium, which represents various business interests within the county, was expected to provide the majority of financial support. Late Wednesday, though, OCSA officials were informed funds they thought were secured would not be allocated, a source familiar with the discussions said. Attempts Thursday morning to find alternate revenue sources failed.

McGee and Jack Lindquist, president of the Irvine-based Lindquist group that took over management of the OCSA in April, repeatedly stated they would not move forward with the game unless they could guarantee it would not lose money. The sports association’s debt is between $1.4 million and $1.7 million.

Although Orange County officials hope to restart the game next year, some college football officials said this might be the fatal blow to the battered event, which has been a money and morale drainer for the sports association.

“It’s going to very difficult for them [to restart],” said John Reid, executive director of the Holiday Bowl. “Once bowls are gone--they’re usually gone for good.”

McGee doesn’t dispute that this interruption usually sounds a death knell. However, he believes this is not the case for the Big Orange Classic.

“We feel having a full year will provide an opportunity to do all the things we wanted to do this year,” McGee said. “This gives us the opportunity to do it right for the first time.”

Still, the game’s departure is yet another on a long list of setbacks for the OCSA.

This comes on the heels of the demise of the preseason Disneyland Pigskin Classic, whose 1994 game ended a lackluster five-year run. Disney that year dropped its sponsorship of the game, which never drew more than 49,309 despite some marquee matchups.

Reid recently expressed doubt about the OCSA’s chances of producing a successful game with such little time. Still, he hoped his group’s counterparts would get the chance to try.

“There have been a lot of bowl games go out of business, but not many after such a long history,” Reid said. “It’s a really unfortunate thing for a bowl to go under in the West because we have so few compared to places like the Southeast. You don’t ever want to see this happen.”

If the game had been certified, it would have been played Dec. 28 or 30 between the Western Athletic Conference’s third-place team and an at-large selection.

“We’re very disappointed,” WAC Commissioner Karl Benson said. “We’ve had a very positive and beneficial relationship with [the OCSA] over the past several years. We were hoping they would be able to get through this.”

Only twice has the game attracted crowds of more than 50,000 at Anaheim Stadium, which can accommodate about 69,000 for football. In 1994, 27,477 attended the game between Utah and Arizona--the smallest crowd since the inaugural game.

Not that the game was without excitement. Iowa defeated Texas, 55-17, in Freedom Bowl I as Iowa quarterback Chuck Long threw six touchdown passes. Tailback Gaston Green rushed for 266 yards in 33 carries in UCLA’s 31-10 victory over Brigham Young in 1986.

But the Freedom Bowl is probably best remembered for how USC was humiliated by Fresno State, 24-7, in 1992. The loss sealed the firing of Trojan Coach Larry Smith.

Pacific-10 Conference teams were, for the most part, disinterested in playing in the game and the conference ended its participation after last season. But the WAC was eager to continue its relationship, especially because the conference is expanding from 10 to 16 teams next season.

“We’re going to have to worry about 16 teams next season, so this is definitely going to have an impact on our bowl structure,” Benson said. “But it’s also going to have an impact on the bowl structure of the whole West Coast.”

Freedom Bowl Chronology

YEAR-BY-YEAR*--*

Year Result Att. 1984 Iowa 55, Texas 17 24,093 1985 Washington 20, Colorado 17 30,961 1986 UCLA 31, Brigham Young 10 51,422 1987 Arizona State 33, Air 33,261 Force 28 1988 Brigham Young 20, 35,941 Colorado 17 1989 Washington 34, Florida 7 33,858 1990 Colorado State 32, 41,450 Oregon 31 1991 Tulsa 28, San Diego 34,217 State 17 1992 Fresno State 24, USC 7 50,745 1993 USC 28, Utah 21 37,203 1994 Utah 16, Arizona 13 27,477

Year Most Valuable Players 1984 Chuck Long, Iowa QB; William Harris, Texas TE 1985 Chris Chandler, Washington QB; Barry Helton, Colorado P 1986 Gaston Green, UCLA RB; Shane Shumway, Brigham Young DB 1987 Daniel Ford, Arizona State QB; Chad Hennings, Air Force DT 1988 Ty Detmer, Brigham Young QB; Eric Bieniemy, Colorado RB 1989 Cary Conklin, Washington QB; Huey Richardson, Florida LB 1990 Todd Yert, Colorado State RB; Bill Musgrave, Oregon QB 1991 Ron Jackson, Tulsa RB; Marshall Faulk, San Diego State RB 1992 Lorenzo Neal, Fresno State RB; Estrus Crayton, USC RB 1993 Johnnie Morton, USC WR; Henry Lusk, Utah WR 1994 Cal Beck, Utah KR; Tedy Bruschi, Arizona DE

*--*

1984: Tom Starr, hired as executive director after five years in the same capacity with the Sun Bowl, had his hands full in putting together the game in four months, after the NCAA gave its blessing in August. It didn’t help that he received death threats from Cal State Fullerton fans, angry that their 11-1 team was not considered. Nor were ticket sales helped by a Dec. 26 date. A rain storm further contributed to a crowd of 24,093. A close game degenerated into an Iowa blowout, when the Hawkeyes scored 31 consecutive points in the third quarter. Iowa quarterback Chuck Long completed 29 of 39 passes for 461 yards and touchdown passes to six receivers, victimizing Jerry Gary, an All-American defensive back who would have better days at Anaheim Stadium. Still, the game had the best TV rating (6.1) of any of the season’s bowl games telecast on other than the major networks. Unfortunately, Metrosport promptly filed for bankruptcy and defaulted on payments of $34,000, causing the Freedom Bowl money problems for years to come.

1985: Officials sought Tennessee to meet Washington, but had to settle for Colorado when Tennessee got a bid to the Sugar Bowl. Despite a relatively unattractive pairing, the move of the game to a later date contributed to Starr’s optimistic attitude. “If we get 55,000, you’ll see me smiling on Dec. 30,” he said. “If we get 40,000, you’ll see a grin. And if we get 30,000, you’ll see me on the next plane out.” The game drew 30,961, but Starr stuck around. Those who did attend were rewarded with an exciting finish, as Colorado rallied on Barry Helton’s 31-yard touchdown pass off a fake field goal in the fourth quarter. The Buffaloes then drove to the Washington 5-yard line before losing the ball on a fumble late in the game. The ratings of the telecast--by Lorimar--dropped to 2.6.

1986: A year that began with the Freedom Bowl scrambling to stay alive ended on a high note. In order to beat a June 30 deadline for payment of $527,000 to Washington and Colorado for the 1985 game and avoid a loss of NCAA sanction, Starr had to secure last-minute interest-free loans of $125,000 each from city of Anaheim and the city’s Visitors and Convention Bureau. Mizlou signed on with a three-year contract to televise the game, and a record crowd of 51,214 showed up to see UCLA meet Brigham Young. The Bruin fans saw a tour de force by Gaston Green, who rushed for 266 yards and three touchdowns in 33 carries and threw a scoring pass, a performance that may have contributed to his drafting by the Rams in 1988. He never rushed for as many as 266 yards in any of this three seasons with the Rams.

1987: In an attempt to expand its presence, the Freedom Bowl began sponsorship of basketball tournament at UC Irvine. In an attempt to draw fans, a Pac-10 team was again matched against a WAC team, although the attendance was only two-thirds of the previous year. The game produced the longest pass in bowl’s history, a 61-yard toss from Arizona State’s Daniel Ford to Aaron Cox, a future Ram. With star quarterback Dee Dowis out with an injury, Air Force almost rallied behind third-stringer Lance McDowell, who threw for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The game was the last for Arizona State coach John Cooper, who resigned following the game and went to Ohio State.

1988: In a year that gave a peek at the future, the Freedom Bowl announced plans to join with Disney to propose the preseason Pigskin Classic, beginning in 1990. The game provided a look at Brigham Young freshman Ty Detmer, who would win the Heisman Trophy two years later, and Colorado’s Eric Bieniemy, who would finish third in the Heisman voting the same year. Detmer came off the bench to complete 11 of 17 passes for 129 and a touchdown, and Jason Chaffetz kicked two fourth-quarter field goals, the last with three minutes to play. Bieniemy rushed for 144 yards in 33 carries and scored both Colorado touchdowns.

1989: What began as a breakthrough year ended with a game that would change the focus of future Freedom Bowls. In January, the NCAA approved the Pigskin Classic. In May, NBC signed a one-year deal to televise the game, with an option for a longer association. “This bowl will grow in importance in a short period of time,” mused Jonathon Miller, an NBC vice president for programming. But it was downhill from there. Washington and Florida--the first and only team ever invited from east of the Mississippi--combined to sell only 7,000 tickets. Florida was distracted about the ousting of coach Galen Hall amid allegations of making illegal payments to players and an impending NCAA probe. Emmitt Smith, preparing to enter the NFL draft a year early, seemed more interested in avoiding injury than in leading the Gators to victory; he carried the ball seven times and gained 17 yards. Cary Conklin completed 21 of 39 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns to lead Washington to a rout. NBC did not come calling the next year.

1990: On Jan. 17, Starr resigned as executive director, citing the inability to attract a corporate sponsor and small crowds. “I feel like the world’s been lifted off my shoulders,” he said. Within two years, he had returned to the Hancock (nee Sun) Bowl. One month later, the position was given to Don Andersen, an associate athletic director at Chapman and a former sports information director at USC. Raycom signed to televise the game for five years, but a proposal in July by Orange County Supervisor Don Roth and Sheriff Brad Gates that money seized in drug raids be used to support the game--the name of which would be changed to the Orange County Freedom from Drugs Bowl--never got off the ground. Before staging the Freedom Bowl, Andersen had to deal with the first Pigskin Classic. Tennessee and Colorado played to a 31-31 tie, but only 33,458 turned out. Fans of Colorado State and Oregon, two schools each making a rare bowl appearance, swelled the crowd to 41,450, for one of the most exciting finishes in the bowl’s history. Three scoring plays of 44 yards or longer, including a game-clinching 52-yard run by Colorado State’s Todd Yert, highlighted a 27-point fourth quarter. Bill Musgrave completed 29 of 47 passes for 392 yards and three touchdowns for Oregon. Two relative unknowns had drawn more than 7,500 more fans that two recognized national powers the previous year, a lesson Andersen would not forget.

1991: On the morning of Nov. 12, Andersen was given assurances from Stanford and the Pac-10 that the Cardinal, potentially a strong draw in Orange County, would play in the Freedom Bowl against WAC runner-up San Diego State. Four hours later, Stanford backed out. In between, ABC, which was televising the Aloha Bowl, had talked Stanford officials into committing to play Georgia Tech in that game. Whatever self-esteem that was lost by Freedom Bowl officials was soon salved by the aggressive courting of Tulsa, whose fans deluged the Freedom Bowl office fax machine. Marshall Faulk of San Diego State surprised no one by rushing for 157 yards in 30 carries and catching nine passes for another 42 yards. But no one was prepared for Tulsa’s Ron Jackson, a replacement for suspended starter Chris Hughley, who rushed 46 times for 211 yards and four touchdowns, the last with four minutes to go to win the game after a fumbled punt gave the Golden Hurricane that ball at the Aztecs’ 4-yard line.

1992: In May, the Pac-10 signed a two-year deal agreeing to provide its third-place team,and in December, the Freedom Bowl got the team it wanted: USC. That, and the presence of a Fresno State following thrilled to be going to a bowl game, resulted in a crowd of 50,745, the second best in the game’s history. It was hardly the best of nights for USC, which completed a disappointing finish to the season by giving up 405 yards total offense to the Bulldogs. USC coach Larry Smith resigned three days later, and the unpleasant experience would reverberate the following year.

1993: In November, the WAC agreed to pair one of its teams against the third-place team from the Pac-10, a turn of events that didn’t set well at USC, when it became apparent the Trojans were heading back to the Freedom Bowl. USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett didn’t help matters when he said the Freedom Bowl was a “no-win proposition” for the Trojans, who he felt should be playing a team from a “more prestigious” conference than the WAC. Garrett later backed off his comments, and USC avoided the embarrassment of the previous year by taking a 28-0 halftime lead, then holding on after Utah rallied to within a touchdown with 3:56 to play. USC’s Johnnie Morton had 10 receptions for 147 yards and two touchdowns.

1994: Bank of America agreed to become a presenting sponsor, enabling the Freedom Bowl to meet the NCAA’s new minimum of a $750,000 payout per team. Ties with the WAC were strengthened with a three-year contract. The Pigskin Classic left Anaheim when Disney didn’t renew it’s five-year contract. Ohio State defeated Fresno State, 21-7, before a crowd of only 28,153. The Freedom Bowl featured two top-25 opponents for the first time, but the crowd of 27,477 was the second worst in the game’s history. Utah’s Cal Beck became the only kick returner to be named his team’s most valuable player, when he set up the winning touchdown by returning a punt 72 yards, only three fewer than the Utes gained in total offense. Mike McCoy hit Kevin Dyson with a fourth-down scoring pass with 3:34 to play.

1995: On March 31, Don Andersen resigned, discouraged by lack of interest from both the fans and the colleges. “The Pac-10 teams would rather not be here,” he said. “They play here reluctantly.” Former Disney executive Jerry McGee was hired as executive director. The Pac-10 offered a deal guaranteeing its fifth-place team, an offer the Orange County Sports Assn. rejected. Optimistic after meetings with the Orange County Tourism Consortium, the OCSA announced on July 31 that it would seek inclusion for the game--to be renamed the Big Orange Classic--on the NCAA’s bowl lineup. But when funding could not be secured, the game was dropped for 1995, although the door was left open for 1996.