Cap One Bowl
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orl-sportsorlando-bowlgames-30043009apr30,0,2346807.story
Florida Citrus Sports chief executive officer Steve Hogan is pulling the fire alarm.
He says the city's
Capital One Bowl is in danger of losing its position as the best bowl game outside college football's Bowl Championship Series.
Hogan spent last week in California working to renew the certification of the Capital One Bowl and the
Champs Sports Bowl played in Orlando. The
NCAA recertified both games, but meetings with officials from conferences that send teams to Orlando gave Hogan a massive headache.
Leaders of the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten pounced, immediately asking Hogan about progress made toward renovating the
Citrus Bowl.
........
"I understand the desire to renovate the stadium as quickly as possible," Orlando City Commissioner Phil Diamond said. "By the same token, the reality of the situation is that the tourist tax has bottomed out."
Michael Walzak, board member with the local group CountyWatch, offers a more blunt assessment.
"It's never going to happen," he said. "There just isn't any money."
Diamond and Walzak are more worried about losing critical city services and suggested Florida Citrus Sports explore hosting games at UCF. A proposed third bowl game for the city, to be held at UCF's two-year-old
Bright House Networks Stadium, was tabled for 2009 after organizers were unable to land a title sponsor. They hope to apply to the NCAA again in 2010.
Hogan contends Bright House Networks Stadium with a capacity of 45,301 isn't large enough to support games hosting more than 74,000 fans.
He added SEC and Big Ten teams would not be willing to play on a college campus when they compete in much bigger venues during the regular season.
Plus a bit more at the link