Local Ticket Sales Lagging

USC isn’t going to come anywhere close to using its 8,000-ticket allotment for the Sun Bowl, with ticket sales and distribution to players, families and staff totaling only about 1,500 earlier this week.

“We still obviously have a week to go,” spokesman Tim Tessalone said. “We’re targeting Texas alumni. It will probably go up, but we’re not expecting to sell all 8,000.”

USC plays Texas Christian on Dec. 31 in El Paso.

“It’s fairly typical for this type of game--non-Rose Bowl, out-of-town, New Year’s Eve,” Tessalone said. “There’s not the same excitement level. If it had been the Holiday Bowl [in San Diego], there would have been a lot of sales.”

TCU had sold about half of its allotment, but Sun Bowl ticket manager Ellen Hughes said the overall sale of about 35,000 was about the same pace as last year when the Sun Bowl drew about 49,000.

Schools pay for their 8,000-ticket allotment of mostly $35 tickets whether or not the tickets are sold, with any shortfall reducing the $1-million payout each team receives. Unsold tickets are typically distributed to El Paso-area charities.

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Receiver Windrell Hayes is “certainly in jeopardy for the game” because of a toe injury, Coach Paul Hackett said. He will be evaluated again in El Paso. . . . R. Jay Soward, who has been ill, and Chad Morton, nursing a tender ankle, didn’t practice Wednesday. . . . Players who aren’t from Los Angeles were allowed to go home for Christmas and fly to El Paso on their own. The team is traveling Saturday morning and will hold a light practice after arriving. . . . Some players were excused early from Wednesday’s final practice in Los Angeles. “It was Christmas attitude today,” Hackett said. “Everybody’s excited to get home.”

Next Up for USC

What: Sun Bowl TCU (6-5) vs. USC (8-4)

Where: El Paso

When: Dec. 31

Time: 11 a.m.

TV: Channel 2

Radio: XTRA (690)