Why aren't we the Home team in the Fiesta?

[sooneron]

It is the Big 12's tie-in bowl. They are the visitors. What's up with this?

[Edmond Sooner]

Today's Tulsa World says that OU has been designated the Home Team for the Fiesta Bowl. Have you heard different?

[sanantoniosooner]

That blue field assures Boise of being the homo team, not the home team.

[The Ensuing Kickoff]

. . . . Thread jack alert . . . .

Better question: Why the frick aren't we the home team . . . in the ORANGE BOWL?? I don't mean this year, I mean every year.

Drops of the ball by the Big XII:

-Not preserving the OU/Nebraska rivalry
-Not preserving the Orange Bowl as the automatic bowl destination for the winner of the Big XII. The Fiesta Bowl is, believe it or not, the bowl to which the Big XII Champ goes automatically - that is, unless the Big XII Champ goes to the title game, OR a bowl ahead of the Fiesta Bowl in the selection order loses its automatic conference tie-in to the championship game and selects the Big XII Champ as its replacement.

Why we don't have Miami as a goal every year (other than the NCG) is beyond me - a damn shame. Can't get excited about the Fiesta as much as the OB.

[AlabamaSooner]

. . . . Thread jack alert . . . .

Better question: Why the frick aren't we the home team . . . in the ORANGE BOWL?? I don't mean this year, I mean every year.

Drops of the ball by the Big XII:

-Not preserving the OU/Nebraska rivalry
-Not preserving the Orange Bowl as the automatic bowl destination for the winner of the Big XII. The Fiesta Bowl is, believe it or not, the bowl to which the Big XII Champ goes automatically - that is, unless the Big XII Champ goes to the title game, OR a bowl ahead of the Fiesta Bowl in the selection order loses its automatic conference tie-in to the championship game and selects the Big XII Champ as its replacement.

Why we don't have Miami as a goal every year (other than the NCG) is beyond me - a damn shame. Can't get excited about the Fiesta as much as the OB.

I definitely agree with all your points. It's a shame we don't keep a common opponent (NU) from the other division. Regarding the Fiesta Bowl, it really does nothing for me. Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that we're in a BCS bowl again, but Fiesta still doesn't scream out "Big Game" to me. Wasn't that long ago that 7-5 teams were getting in regularly. The Cotton Bowl holds more history and weight than the Fiesta for that matter. I noticed that some Oranges were being thrown on the field after the game and after scores in KC on Saturday. That's the way that it SHOULD be. Winner goes to the OB like it used to be. Just feels right.

[The Ensuing Kickoff]

My analysis of the rise of the Fiesta Bowl, totally unresearched and based on a 20 year old perception of mine, is that if it weren't for the success of two major independent teams in the 1980s, the Fiesta Bowl would be a minor, minor bowl.

Penn State and Miami are largely to blame for this.

[The Ensuing Kickoff]

Now I researched it, and I was right. Seems Notre Dame, another independent, is also largely to blame. Interesting, too, that historically it seems that a WAC team like Boise St. has a more legit claim to a spot in this bowl game. It's their ancestral post-season homeland!!

From wikipedia:

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History
The creation of the Fiesta Bowl grew out of the frustration of the Western Athletic Conference in trying to obtain bowl invitiations for its champions. In 1968 and 1969 respectively, champions Wyoming and Arizona State failed to obtain any bowl invitation. The next year, undefeated Arizona State was bypassed by the major bowls and had to settle for a less prestigious Peach Bowl appearance. The Fiesta Bowl therefore initially provided an automatic bowl tie-in for the Western Athletic Conference champion.

The 1971 inaugural game featured another top-ten Arizona State squad against top-twenty opponent Florida State. By 1975, the game was able to attract Big Eight co-champion Nebraska to play undefeated Arizona State in a matchup of top-five teams. In 1977, the game was again able to attract a top-five opponent in Penn State.

In 1978, Arizona and Arizona State each joined the Pac 10 Conference and the Fiesta Bowl's tie-in with the Western Athletic Conference ended. The game continued to attract high quality matchups, so beginning with the 1981 game the Fiesta Bowl shifted to New Year's Day with the other major bowl games.

A major breakthrough occurred during the 1986 season when the top two teams in the country, Miami and Penn State, agreed to play for the National Championship in the Fiesta Bowl. At the time, the "Big Four" bowl games (Cotton, Orange, Sugar, and Rose) had contracts with the major conferences wherein those conference champions were guaranteed spots in those bowls. Both Miami and Penn State were independents at that time. The Fiesta Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl, each free from the obligation of conference tie-ins, vied to host the game. The Fiesta Bowl won the bidding matchup and the game was moved to the day after the 4 "Major" bowls. The 1987 game, won by Penn State 14-10, was the most watched game, in terms of television viewership, in the history of college football. Two years later, #1 Notre Dame played undefeated #3 West Virginia for the National Championship at the Fiesta Bowl. By this time, the Fiesta Bowl's ability to stage games with national championship implications propelled it to major-bowl status in the minds of college football fans, replacing the Cotton Bowl as a member of the postseason's "top four."

For the 1991 game, several major universities declined invitations due to the State of Arizona's decision at that time not to adopt the Martin Luther King Holiday.

In 1992, the Fiesta Bowl was invited to participate in the Bowl Coalition, a predecessor to the Bowl Championship Series, assuring the game would feature major conference champions or prestigious runners up, and the possibility of hosting further national title games. When this series incorporated a title game with a preset rotating site beginning in 1996, the Fiesta Bowl was the first to host the game, featuring undefeated #1 Nebraska playing undefeated #2 Florida for the National Championship. Finally, with the addition of the Big Ten and Pac 10 conferences to the rechristened Bowl Championship Series, the Fiesta Bowl became a permanent fixture in the four year BCS National Championship Game rotation. In 1998, the Fiesta Bowl featured the first BCS National Championship Game, which Tennessee won over Florida State, 23 to 16.

The BCS National Championship game returned to the Fiesta Bowl 2003 with The Ohio State Buckeyes beating the Miami Hurricanes in the first overtime national championship game. The game went into 2 overtimes with the Buckeyes coming out on top 31-24 to claim the 2002 National Championship. Since that game the Buckeyes have returned to the Fiesta Bowl in 2004 beating Kansas St. and in 2006 beating Notre Dame. During the trophy presentation Ohio State quarterback and MVP, Troy Smith, commented on The Buckeyes dominance in the Fiesta Bowl by saying "The National Championship game is here next year; we like that."

The Fiesta Bowl is the only BCS bowl to date that has had an entry from outside the BCS conferences (independent Notre Dame is also a full BCS member). The 2005 game saw undefeated Utah become the first non-BCS school ever to play in a BCS game, easily defeating Big East champion Pittsburgh 35-7. As noted above, Boise State will play in the 2007 game.


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[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

The Cotton Bowl was always one of the 4 elite, New Year's day bowls. I think the weather in Dallas in early January had something to do with its demise as a major.(I say this without doing any research, of course)

[The Ensuing Kickoff]

I think Texas (the state) sucking *** regardless of the time of year had more to do with it.

[GottaHavePride]

I think it was because the Fiesta bowl was willing to pony up more cash to be part of the BCS.

[OUTrumpet]

I definitely agree with all your points. It's a shame we don't keep a common opponent (NU) from the other division. Regarding the Fiesta Bowl, it really does nothing for me. Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that we're in a BCS bowl again, but Fiesta still doesn't scream out "Big Game" to me. Wasn't that long ago that 7-5 teams were getting in regularly. The Cotton Bowl holds more history and weight than the Fiesta for that matter. I noticed that some Oranges were being thrown on the field after the game and after scores in KC on Saturday. That's the way that it SHOULD be. Winner goes to the OB like it used to be. Just feels right.

Definitly not long ago. Pitt made it to the Fiesta Bowl in 04 at 7-5. KSU didn't have that much better of a record the year before either.

[KingDavid]

The Cotton Bowl was always one of the 4 elite, New Year's day bowls. I think the weather in Dallas in early January had something to do with its demise as a major.(I say this without doing any research, of course)

The Cotton bowls demise was due to a few factors:

1) The demise of the Southwest Conference.
2) The solid leadership (and some luck) of the Fiesta Bowl reps, and
3) Lazy leadership by the Cotton Bowl reps.

[proudsoonergal]

The Cotton bowls demise was due to a few factors:

1) The demise of the Southwest Conference.
2) The solid leadership (and some luck) of the Fiesta Bowl reps, and
3) Lazy leadership by the Cotton Bowl reps.

and

4) Short-sightedness by the city of Dallas.

[soonerspudman]

Helps that they've hosted the NC, but I'll forever remember Barry delivering tacos to Tom live on the set and think of the Fiesta Bowl as where you went if you lost the big game.

[Octavian]

The Big XII champion should definetly be getting the tie-in to the Orange Bowl.

Who's failure is that? Weiberg? :confused:

[SoonerSloan]

was also curious on why the cotton, i think the 2nd or 3rd oldest bowl, wasnt chosen as one of the 4 BCS bowls and the fiesta was. seems the cotton bowl lost some luster in the SWC probation days when alot of the teams were bowl banned, hard for a good matchup when your conference champion tie-in cant go to the post season. Also like yall said, lazy bowl commitees, city of dallas planning.

[sooneron]

According to most sites (cbssportsline etc.), OU is listed first in the matchup- that's AP style, the visiting team is always mentioned first or is on top for scoring purposes. One of the few things I learned in the J school.

[PDXsooner]

According to most sites (cbssportsline etc.), OU is listed first in the matchup- that's AP style, the visiting team is always mentioned first or is on top for scoring purposes. One of the few things I learned in the J school.

on the fiesta bowl website it says OU will be wearing their red jerseys

[PDXsooner]

link: http://www.fiestabowl.org/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10200&KEY=&ATCLID=702181

Team Information
Boise State will wear its white jerseys and use the west bench on game day. Oklahoma will wear its dark jerseys and use the east bench on game day.

[OK2LA]

The Cotton bowls demise was due to a few factors:

1) The demise of the Southwest Conference.
2) The solid leadership (and some luck) of the Fiesta Bowl reps, and
3) Lazy leadership by the Cotton Bowl reps.

4) The demise of the Cotton Bowl itself. That place is a dump. The city of dalli finally stepped up to the table, but it may have been too late in the grand scheme of things.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Helps that they've hosted the NC, but I'll forever remember Barry delivering tacos to Tom live on the set and think of the Fiesta Bowl as where you went if you lost the big game.

SUN bowl

[sooneron]

on the fiesta bowl website it says OU will be wearing their red jerseys
Thanks! Good news.