Rose Bowl Tickets Are in Demand

A USC official said Thursday that demand for tickets to the top-ranked Trojans’ Rose Bowl game against Michigan far exceeds the school’s allocation of 32,000.

“Our overall goal is to take care of as many people as possible,” said Ron Orr, an associate athletic director who works with the school’s ticket office and president’s office to coordinate ticket distribution.

Tickets for what many regard as a national championship game have a face value of $125. Orr said USC will start shipping tickets to buyers next week by overnight mail.

About 35% of the school’s tickets will be sold to 2,500 members of USC’s athletic donor organizations, who had an option to buy from two to eight tickets depending on their level of financial support, Orr said. About 30% will be sold to season ticket holders -- including faculty and staff season-ticket holders -- through a lottery. The remaining tickets will be sold to the president’s office, students and football program personnel.

Players receive six tickets, but they are never in possession of them. The tickets must be picked up by pre-designated recipients at the game.

Orr said about 2,800 students applied for a lottery for the chance to purchase two tickets each.

“We’re hoping to take care of the majority of those requests,” he said.

Pre-printed ticket applications for the Holiday Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl went out to USC season-ticket holders after the Trojans played UCLA on Nov. 22. Anticipating the bowl-game ticket demand, nearly 200 people joined athletic support groups after the victory over the Bruins. Those new members each received the opportunity to purchase four bowl game tickets.

Tuesday was the deadline for all prospective ticket buyers to turn in applications.

USC’s ticket office received a flurry of phone calls after Oklahoma and Louisiana State were selected for the Sugar Bowl on Sunday.

“Everyone was counting on the Sugar Bowl,” Orr said. “On Monday and Tuesday we were getting a lot of calls from people saying, ‘I didn’t even think we would be in the Rose Bowl.’ ”

USC fans benefited somewhat from the scenario because the school would have been allotted only 16,000 tickets if the Trojans were playing in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on Jan. 4.

Orr said USC’s 32,000 Rose Bowl tickets are 10,000 fewer than the school received the last time the Trojans played in Pasadena on New Year’s Day -- in 1996 against Northwestern. Orr said the reduction was because of increased distribution to the Big Ten Conference.

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USC senior offensive lineman Jacob Rogers and sophomore receiver Mike Williams were named to the Walter Camp All-America team.

-- Gary Klein

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Quarterback Matt Moore, who has announced his intentions to transfer from UCLA, could end up at San Diego State, according to his father, Don Moore.

“That’s one of the schools he’s interested in,” Don Moore told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

NCAA rules prohibit Moore from talking to suitors until today, when the quarter ends at UCLA. Other schools reportedly under consideration include Nevada Las Vegas, Tennessee and Colorado.

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Oakland Raider quarterback coach Jim Harbaugh is a finalist to become coach at Division I-AA San Diego.... Alabama quarterback Brodie Croyle had surgery on his non-throwing shoulder but will be ready for spring drills.... Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville agreed to a one-year contract extension through the 2008 season.... Louisiana State Coach Nick Saban was chosen Associated Press coach of the year.... Former Arizona coach Dick Tomey, a San Francisco 49er defensive assistant, told the El Paso Times that he was interested in the opening at Texas El Paso.... Syracuse will not fire Coach Paul Pasqualoni, but has asked that he make staff changes, ESPN.com reports.

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Award Winners

*--* Maxwell (Best player) * Eli Manning, Mississippi, quarterback Chuck Bednarik (Defensive player) * Teddy Lehman, Oklahoma, linebacker Outland (Interior lineman) * Robert Gallery, Iowa, offensive tackle Davey O’Brien (Quarterback) * Jason White, Oklahoma Doak Walker (Running back) * Chris Perry, Michigan Fred Biletnikoff (Receiver) * Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh Jim Thorpe * Derrick Strait, Oklahoma Lou Groza (Kicker) * Jonathan Nichols, Mississippi Ray Guy (Punter) * B.J. Sander, Ohio State Coach * Pete Carroll, USC Spirit * Neil Parry, San Jose State NCFAA Contribution to College Football * Keith Jackson, ABC Sports

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