K- State has to go alliance if UA wants local bowl

Michigan State accepted a bid to play Washington in the Aloha Bowl yesterday, hurting Arizona's chances for gaining an at-large berth into the Dec. 27 Insight.com Bowl, formerly the Copper Bowl, which is played in Tucson.

The Insight.com Bowl is obligated by contract to take the last eligible team from the Big 12 Conference, of which there are five.

Nebraska, Kansas State, Texas A&M, Missouri and Oklahoma State all qualified by winning at least six games. Before the Michigan State decision, it was thought that either Missouri or Oklahoma State would go to the Aloha Bowl opening the scenario of Arizona playing it's first post-season game since 1994 at Arizona Stadium because all the Big 12 teams would be going elsewhere.

However, now Arizona has to root for Nebraska to win this Saturday, which would force the 'Huskers to go the Orange Bowl, and hope the Fiesta Bowl committee chooses KSU over other favorites UCLA and North Carolina.

"We have to wait and see what the alliance does before we can make a decision about our choice," said Howard Volin, 1997 Football Chairman for the Insight.com Bowl. "If the alliance takes two Big 12 teams then we are free to talk about an at-large bid."

The alliance bowls will be set on Sunday based on the outcomes of this weekend's conference championship games.

One thing in Arizona's favor is that the Fiesta Bowl committee is high on K-State because its basketball team is playing in Arizona's annual Fiesta Classic on the 28th and 30th in McKale Center, the thought being that KSU can attract more fans to Phoenix because they can take in both sports and make a weekend of it.

Should the alliance choose to go with either UCLA or North Carolina, then Kansas State would go to the Cotton Bowl, Texas A&M would travel to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, Missouri will play in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas and Oklahoma State would end up in Tucson, leaving Arizona with seemingly no place to go.

The Wildcats only other hope is to receive one of the other four at-large bids from either the Las Vegas, Motor City, Poulan/Weed Eater Independence or Sports Humanitarian Bowls.

The most likely scenario if the Wildcats do make it to the Insight.com Bowl will have them pitted against the loser of the Western Athletic Conference championship game between New Mexico and Colorado State. The Lobos and Rams meet on Saturday, with the winner headed to the Holiday Bowl and the loser coming to Tucson.