UCLA Expected to Receive Invitation to Sun Bowl

The Sun Bowl is expected to select UCLA to face Wisconsin, and an official invitation could be extended to the Bruins as early as Monday, Pacific 10 Conference assistant commissioner Jim Muldoon said Friday night.

Arizona State’s victory over Arizona on Friday left the Bruins and Sun Devils tied in the conference standings. That allows the Sun Bowl to choose among Oregon, UCLA and Arizona State, and Muldoon said he expected the Sun Bowl to pick the Bruins.

The Sun Bowl is scheduled Dec. 29 in El Paso. The Ducks played there last year, and bowl officials have indicated they would exercise their right to pass on a repeat visit. Sun Bowl executive director Joyce Feinberg did not return a call for comment.

The Sun Bowl has considered selecting Oregon or Arizona State and then trading that pick to the Insight.com Bowl of Tucson for the chance to land Texas A&M.; However, CBS televises the Sun Bowl and is unlikely to allow bowl executives to pass up a team from the large Southern California market.

UCLA is 6-5. Wisconsin is 7-4 and plays its last regular season game tonight at Hawaii. The Bruins and Badgers last played in the 1999 Rose Bowl, won by Wisconsin 38-31.

UCLA and Wisconsin have two common opponents. Michigan beat Wisconsin, 13-10, but lost to UCLA 23-20. Oregon beat UCLA, 29-10, but lost to Wisconsin, 27-23.

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Freddie Mitchell was selected to the Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America team, as voted by Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors. Mitchell set a school record with 1,314 receiving yards this season, which ranks second in the country. He is one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award, presented to the top receiver in college football.