Pac-10 may be close to agreement with Alamo Bowl
It's not official yet, but it appears the Pacific 10 Conference is close to reaching an agreement with the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio that would fill the conference's No.2 bowl slot and knock all other bowl partners down one spot.
The arrangement, starting after 2010 regular season, would pit the Pac-10 against the Big 12 with each team receiving $3 million.
The Pac-10, which went 5-0 in bowls last year, has been criticized by some for not having a strong enough post-season lineup behind the Rose Bowl.
The Alamo Bowl would reportedly knock the Holiday Bowl to No. 3 spot in the Pac-10 order and the Sun Bowl to No. 4.
Holiday Bowl Executive Director Bruce Binkowski, reached on vacation in Montana, said today his bowl, which pays $2.3 million per team, would have to raise ticket prices in an effort to match the Alamo's bid.
"We just didn't feel it was something we wanted to do," Binkowski said. "We'd rather keep our game as affordable as possible for our fans."
Binkowski also emphasized the Alamo deal has not yet been finalized. Pac-10 officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
Other Pac-10 bowls that would be affected include the Las Vegas, Emerald, and the Poinsettia.
"It's all about the money now," Binkowski of the Holiday Bowl said. "More power to the Alamo Bowl."
-- Chris Dufresne
