Tuesday, November 24, 1998
Add Huskies to
Christmas list
Washington will play in the
By Paul Arnett
Christmas Day college football
doubleheader at
Aloha Stadium
Star-BulletinAloha Bowl officials will announce this morning that Washington will join the Air Force Academy in the upcoming Christmas Day football doubleheader.
Bowl officials also are working toward securing a third team, which will be an at-large selection from either the Big 12 or the Big East.
A fourth team can't be announced until the Bowl Championship Series is settled because of UCLA's possible involvement in the national championship game.
Should the Bruins hang on to the No. 2 spot -- and that's a big if considering Kansas State plays Texas A&M for the Big 12 title and could leap over the Bruins based on beating the No. 6 Aggies -- then Arizona will likely go to the Rose Bowl, Oregon to the Holiday Bowl and USC to the Sun Bowl.
The other possible bowl-eligible team from the Pac-10 would be Arizona State, but the only way that could happen is if the Sun Devils upset Arizona on Friday.
Now, if UCLA isn't in the national title game and winds up playing in the Rose Bowl, then Arizona would likely go to the Holiday Bowl, Oregon to the Sun Bowl and USC would come here to play in the Jeep Aloha Bowl. The Oahu Bowl would pit Washington against No. 18 Air Force.
"We're busy talking with teams from all over America, but until UCLA's fate is decided, there isn't a lot we can do," Aloha Bowl chief executive officer Lenny Klompus said last night. "The Bowl Championship Series is holding things up for us on at least one team."
Bowl officials have talked with representatives from Colorado and Nebraska, and from Miami of Florida and Syracuse. About the only way a Big East team would play in either game is if the Pac-10 doesn't have enough bowl-eligible teams. At this point, there are five -- UCLA, Arizona, Oregon, USC and Washington.
"We're very excited to have Air Force and Washington playing here," Klompus said. "We haven't decided who the matchups will be in the two games because it depends on the other two teams we name."
