Pac-10 Tries to Help Sugar Bid

The Pacific 10 Conference has committed some of the revenue its members would receive from an alliance bowl appearance to enhance a UCLA push for a Sugar Bowl bid.

Pac-10 Commissioner Tom Hansen said Wednesday that the league is willing to help subsidize a plan that would take Bruin fans to New Orleans for four days and three nights, including air fare and a game ticket, for $499 per person.

UCLA’s history of poor turnouts for out-of-town bowl games has been cited as a reason for the bowl alliance’s passing up the Bruins for a bid to the Sugar or Fiesta bowls, which pay more than $8 million to each team.

That’s just it: history.

“Fans are excited about this team, its aggressive style of play and its nine-game winning streak,” said Peter Dalis, UCLA’s athletic director. “We are going to do everything possible to ensure our team’s selection to an alliance bowl.”

The Sugar is said to be leaning toward Ohio State and Florida State for its game, the Fiesta toward Syracuse and Kansas State.

Only Florida State, the Atlantic Coast Conference champion, is ranked above UCLA in that grouping.

UCLA is in line for a Cotton Bowl bid if it does not get a place in an alliance bowl game. The Cotton pays $3 million.