It’s been a rough year for a lot of people and a lot of entities, and the Arizona Bowl is no exception.
There were times when the organizers of Tucson’s bowl game weren’t sure if the game would be played. They had to accept the reality that the festivities that typically surround it, and the atmosphere that uplifts it, wouldn’t be the same.
“It’s been like being on a really rocky ocean — a lot of ups and a lot of downs,” said Ali Farhang, chairman of the Arizona Bowl’s executive board. “The key is to stay steady and control what you can control.”
The Arizona Bowl’s organizers stayed steady, and they stayed ready. They were rewarded with perhaps the best matchup in the seven-year history of the game.
Ball State will take on San Jose State on Dec. 31 in a matchup of conference champions. It will be the Cardinals’ first bowl appearance since January 2014. It will be the Spartans’ first since December 2015, when they played in the Cure Bowl with a 5-7 record.
Neither upstart was expected to contend for a league crown this season. Neither was favored in its conference title game.
“It’s almost like we have two New Mexico States,” Farhang said, referring to the NMSU squad that played in and won the 2017 Arizona Bowl – its first bowl berth since 1960.
“It’s almost like we have two Cinderella teams against each in a Cinderella bowl game.”
They all have come a long way.
Ball State (6-1) hadn’t had a winning record since 2013. BSU upset No. 23 Buffalo in the Mid-American Conference Championship Game on Friday.
San Jose State (7-0) hadn’t had a winning record since 2012. SJSU — led by possible Arizona coaching candidate Brent Brennan — upset Boise State in the Mountain West Conference Championship Game on Saturday.
The first Arizona Bowl took place on a Tuesday night in December 2015. It pitted two middle-of-the-pack MWC teams. It didn’t have a TV contract.
This year’s game will be broadcast on CBS.
“There’s a lot to be said for never giving up,” Arizona Bowl executive director Kym Adair said.
“We were determined to come out on top, if that was a possibility.
“A few months ago we didn’t think our conferences were going to have a season. But it was clear that we needed to give our community a win, our conferences a win ... and give these teams a win that have overcome so much adversity this year.”
This is the first year of the Arizona Bowl’s partnership with the MAC. It was able to secure the league champion after the conference decided to send only two teams to bowl games because of COVID-19 and various cancellations.
The MWC champ became available when the inaugural LA Bowl was canceled. The Arizona Bowl was moved from CBS Sports Network to CBS when the Sun Bowl was nixed.
“It comes with mixed feelings,” Adair said. “We’re really disappointed for our bowl-game brethren who had to make those tough decisions.”
Adair and her staff had to make some tough calls too. They had to cancel all the events leading up to the game. But they weren’t about to abandon its mission.
The Arizona Bowl always has promoted local charities. In lieu of in-person fundraising events, and with no fans allowed to attend the game, the Arizona Bowl is aiming to support those charitable causes through other means.
Farhang’s wife, Lia Keller, came up with the idea of “Four Quarters of Giving.” Through social media, and possibly during the game broadcast itself, the Arizona Bowl will highlight four charitable organizations: the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Arizona, the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona and the Primavera Foundation.
“We might not have as many proceeds, but we’re continuing to focus on that,” Adair said. “We’re hoping viewers will take the time to donate to those charities.”
Arizona Bowl organizers also are hopeful that the CBS platform will provide a showcase for Tucson.
“This year, 2020, is the year of, ‘Never say never,’ ” Farhang said. “Never did I say, ‘Watch the game on TV.’ This year, we’re just making the best of the situation. We want everybody to be at home. We want them to turn it on. They’re going to be treated to one of the best football games of the whole bowl season.”
“That being said,” Farhang added, “in 2021, I want 50,000 people at Arizona Stadium.”
