EL PASO, Texas -- A fourth Western Athletic Conference football team was invited to a bowl game Sunday.
It wasn't, however, Utah (7-4) or Wyoming (8-3) or Colorado State (8-4) that'll join Air Force (11-1), BYU (9-4) and San Diego State (7-4) in postseason play.Instead, it's Texas Christian (6-5) that's going bowling. The Sun Bowl, which was considering as many as 16 different teams to face USC on Dec. 31, surprised many be selecting the Horned Frogs who were just 4-4 in WAC play.
"It's been a wacky 24, 36 and 48 hours," said Sun Bowl chairman John Folmer, who declined to reveal how TCU got the nod from the 10-person committee over such hopefuls as Central Florida (9-2) and the other WAC qualifiers. "I only vote in case of a tie and I didn't have to vote."
TCU supporters made an impassioned plea to Sun Bowl officials last week, promising massive support if the Horned Frogs were selected. Apparently, it was enough to convince El Paso officials.
TCU is the lone WAC holdover (half the league forms the Mountain West Conference next season) to earn a bowl bid. It was not immediate known if WAC officials helped cut a deal.