Boise State likely headed to Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl | Boise State Football | Idaho Statesman
The Boise State football team’s bowl tour is likely to land at a new stop this year.
The Broncos, who fell out of BCS National Championship Game and Rose Bowl contention with a 34-31 overtime loss to Nevada on Friday, are the front-runners for the WAC’s berth in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl on Jan. 9 in San Francisco.
The opponent would be the ninth selection from the Atlantic Coast Conference, perhaps Boston College (7-5).
The Kraft game also will take a look at Nevada (11-1 overall, 6-1 WAC), which likely will share the WAC title with Boise State (10-1, 6-1) and Hawaii (9-3, 7-1). Hawaii clinched its share Saturday.
“We’ve ended up in a nice position, actually,” said Gary Cavalli, the executive director of the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. “… We’ve been kind of assuming like everybody else that Boise State would end up in the championship game or Rose Bowl. It’s an exciting turn of events from our standpoint. We’ve got a great opportunity to pick between two outstanding teams coming off one of the most exciting games of the year.”
Cavalli will evaluate his options based on fan base, style of play, TV draw and the need to sell tickets to Bay Area fans.
Boise State seemingly has the upper hand in every category. The Broncos average 14,000 more fans per home game, have brought a nice collection of fans with them to every road game this year and were part of one of the most-watched college football games of the season in the opener against Virginia Tech. They also have helped their opponents draw above-average crowds.
The Broncos also could be higher-ranked than the Wolf Pack, who were 16 spots behind them going into Friday’s game.
The Kraft bowl has the first selection from the WAC by contract. Hawaii, however, already has accepted a spot in the Hawaii Bowl.
This is the Kraft bowl’s first year with the WAC. Boise State is moving to the Mountain West next year, so this might be a one-time shot at the Broncos for Cavalli. The Broncos have been to six bowls in six states in the past seven years.
“It’s too early to make a definitive statement,” Cavalli said. “Like you, I’m still trying to digest what happened (Friday) night. … That’s an awfully attractive team sitting there (in Boise State).”
The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl (formerly the Emerald Bowl) began in 2002 but has a new name this year. It is played at AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants.
The game has the sixth choice from the Pac-10, but that conference most likely won’t have a team available. It has a backup agreement with the Atlantic Coast Conference and Cavalli expects Boston College, North Carolina, Maryland or Georgia Tech to fall to him.
He said the presence of Boise State might help him land a higher-rated team.
One key for Boise State will be how enthusiastic the team and its fans are about the trip to San Francisco. If Cavalli senses disappointment, that might push him toward Nevada. The Broncos’ primary issue may be the date, which would eat up much of their holiday break.
“Hopefully … they understand that coming to San Francisco isn’t the worst thing in the world,” Cavalli said.
Teams arrive in San Francisco on Jan. 4. AT&T Park has been sold out for the past two games, Cavalli said, and he hopes to expand to about 44,000 seats this year. The WAC representative is responsible for 11,000 tickets at an average cost of $50 as part of the $750,000 payout.
“It’s a really unique experience,” Cavalli said of playing in a baseball stadium. “It’s great for the fans — they’re right on top of the action.”
The game’s sponsorship is Kraft’s way of promoting its national initiative to fight hunger. The bowl will donate three meals to hunger-relief organizations in the Bay Area for every ticket sold.
Other options for the Broncos include the Dec. 18 Humanitarian Bowl in Bronco Stadium (Nevada more likely), New Mexico Bowl (long shot) or even the Las Vegas Bowl (where the Pac-10 is unlikely to fill its spot).
Broncos likely headed to Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl
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