The University of Utah gave it a good shot but got the runaround from a couple of different bowl committees last week, losing out three times -- twice for berths in the Las Vegas Bowl and another time for a possible at-large spot in the Oahu (Hawaii) Bowl.
So when a berth in the New Year's Eve Sun Bowl went to 6-5 Texas Christian University, a fifth-place team in the Western Athletic Conference's Mountain Division, it was tough for the 7-4 Utes to take.At the same time, athletic director Chris Hill knew there was no point in the Utes even pursuing that spot in the Sun Bowl, which was supposed to go to the fifth-place team in the Big 10, which wound up not having enough eligible teams. Hill said that the Sun Bowl's hometown made it clear, if not officially announced, that the berth would not go to a member of the Western Athletic Conference's rebel-eight teams.
"El Paso was not interested in having somebody from the Mountain West Conference in their bowl. That's been the word on the street," Hill said. "That's somewhat difficult, and it's really difficult to see a 6-5 team go someplace when our team had a better record and didn't go.
"I'm sure Colorado State (8-4) feels same way and Wyoming (8-3) feels same way, and Central Florida (9-2). We're all in that same category. Central Florida's really got to feel bad," he said. The Golden Knights beat out the Utes for a possible position in Oahu but were bumped when UCLA lost at Miami, putting the Bruins in the Rose Bowl rather than a Bowl Championship Series bowl for the national title. That bumped Oregon to Oahu, leaving Central Florida in the cold.
"The whole bowl system has been disappointing," said Hill, "and I hope that it can eventually be changed. It's one of the few sports that you're invited on a beauty-contest basis."