Bowl Site Trip Completed

There is so much preparation work to be able to pull off a successful bowl week for your team and fans. Erick Harper, our Director of Football Operations, Randy Cohen, our trainer, and I went to San Diego to make sure we get everything just right when our team arrives in San Diego for the Holiday Bowl.

Erick has such a HUGE job to get this done, and he doesn't get enough credit for the great job he does ALL YEAR with our travel. He is easily the BEST I have ever worked with. The Wildcats are lucky to have him in charge!!!!! Randy and I just went to make sure our areas are ready.

We visited a couple of different sites for practice. Both had its positives and negatives. Erick is close to making that decision. There are even more things that still have to be worked out, like when we depart, first practice in San Diego, last practice in Tucson, when the truck leaves, etc.

So even things are getting real close to being done, we still have a little bit of work ahead of us. We start practice tomorrow and through the weekend. Coach Stoops and Erick are still working on a practice schedule for the whole bowl season.

By the way, there is NO DOUBT that the Holiday Bowl staff and volunteers are the BEST in the business. In my thirty one years in the business, I have been to some really good bowls, but the Holiday Bowl people understand how this whole thing works! No wonder they have a GREAT bowl every single year. It all starts with GREAT people.


A view of the field at Qualcomm Stadium from the Holiday Bowl offices:

Me with Bob Wick, long time equipment manager for the San Diego Chargers. Bob will be taking care of us while we are at Qualcomm for the game itself.
A look at the trophies displayed up in the Holiday Bowl offices at Qualcomm Stadium:

The Holiday Bowl green room where we met with Bowl officials about the weeks events:

Pac 10 standings as the Holiday Bowl officials follow it through the entire season in their green room:

Our team host, Bryan Geisbauer showing us Qualcomm Stadium. Bryan is an alum of the UofA:

Picture on the wall in the Holiday Bowl Offices of our game with Nebraska in 1998:

Many media showed up for the Holiday Bowl press conference with the two head coaches:

Coach Pellini and Coach Stoops posing with the trophy for the media at last nights press conference at the Marriott in San Diego: