TCU may be home of bowl game
By Braden Howell
Staff Reporter

Amon Carter Stadium could become the site of the newest college football bowl game if an NCAA football certification subcommittee approves the postseason game at a meeting next month, Big 12 Commissioner Kevin Weiberg said Tuesday.

Pete Derzis, senior vice president of ESPN Regional, said the idea for the proposed Fort Worth Bowl originated almost two years ago from the members of ESPN Regional as a result of the company’s love of Fort Worth and the business it has with TCU.

“We started looking at the geography, downtown, Sundance Square, the stadium, and to us it just seemed like a natural fit,” Derzis said.

Derzis said if the game is certified by the NCAA next month, the inaugural game will take place in December 2003 and will feature teams from the Big 12 and Conference USA.

Weiberg said the Big 12 will end its association with one of the eight bowl games the conference has tie-ins to in order to have one of its teams play in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He said quality depth is not an issue in the decision to join the Fort Worth Bowl because the Big 12 conference usually has plenty of bowl eligible teams.

“We like having multiple playing opportunities for the postseason, and we’re looking for locations in our geographic area,” Weiberg said.

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Conference USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky said his conference is interested in a game against a quality opponent that will also help build awareness of the conference in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Derzis said the Fort Worth Bowl would provide immediate benefits for everyone involved, and ESPN Regional has been working on a contract with TCU that would pay the university for the expenses of using the stadium.

“It’s another nationally-televised game, and it would provide an obvious economic impact because you would have people in town spending money for a few days,” Derzis said. “We’re going to create a fun atmosphere for the athletes, plus it gives them another opportunity to participate in the postseason.”

Officials from the TCU athletics department said they did not have enough information to comment and would know more about the status of the proposed Fort Worth Bowl next week.

b.r.howell@tcu.edu