This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Utah Utes may not have to travel at all for a bowl game in the future, if a proposal to the NCAA Licensing Subcommittee is accepted in upcoming meetings.
A group with Salt Lake City ties is proposing a bowl game called the Rocky Mountain Bowl which would pit a Mountain West team against a Western Athletic Conference team at Utah's Rice-Eccles Stadium.
The proposal has the backing of the MWC, which ideally would have all of its bowl eligible teams playing in the postseason.
Currently the conference has ties to four bowl games. In the last three years, five MWC teams have been bowl eligible. However, New Mexico wasn't invited to a bowl in 2005 and Wyoming was left out in 2006.
"The driving factor for us is real simple, we are trying to find postseason bowl opportunities for all our teams," said MWC deputy commissioner Bret Gilliland. "The membership as a whole is supportive of trying to create opportunities wherever we can and this is an opportunity for us to have us locked into a fifth team."
Utah athletic director Chris Hill said his school doesn't have any association with the group trying to get the bowl game approved and indicated he hoped his program is at a level where it consistently be tabbed for some of the higher-level bowl games.
"It's up to the conference and they have to do what is best for them, but Utah likes to be in warm weather at bowl times," he said.
Already four cities with ties to MWC teams host bowl games in Albuquerque, Las Vegas, San Diego and Fort Worth. The MWC is also involved with the Texas Bowl in Houston on a rotating basis.
Having another bowl tie would be good for the conference, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said.
"The Pac-10 and other conferences have six, seven, eight bids, so if this a way for us to get more opportunities that would be great," he said.
The NCAA will review two other bowl proposals for the Congressional Bowl in Washington, which would feature Army or Navy vs. an ACC team, and the St. Petersburg Bowl in Florida that would feature a Big East team against a Conference USA team.
In 2007, there were 32 bowls, allowing 64 out of the 119 Bowl Subdivision teams to play in the postseason.
Gilliland acknowledged there might be a fear of oversaturation, but said his biggest concern is putting MWC teams into bowl games.
"It's better than not having a bowl game to go to," he said.
Sidelined
Utah will keep 21 players on the sidelines because of injuries or precautionary reasons for Saturday's Red-White game. Among them are receiver Brent Casteel, defensive end Paul Kruger, defensive tackle Isley Filiaga, running backs Matt Asiata and Darrell Mack, linebacker Stevenson Sylvester, defensive back Robert Johnson and defensive end Koa Misi.
"There are a lot of guys, second and third-teamers, who are going to have a chance to step forward and make some plays," Whittingham said.
Saturday tidbits
With Corbin Louks out with a concussion, starter Brian Johnson will play the first quarter for both teams in Saturday's game before sitting. DeVonte Christopher and Chad Manis will quarterback the rest of the way. . . . Former Ute defensive back Eric Weddle, who has attended several practices, has been selected to coach one team and strength coach Doug Elisaia will coach the other team.