BYU, Cal Officially Welcomed in Las Vegas

LAS -- At a media conference Thursday at the ESPN Zone located inside the New York-New York Hotel & Casino on the famed Las Vegas "Strip," the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl officially welcomed Brigham Young University (6-5/5-3/2nd) of the Mountain West Conference and the University of California (7-4/4-4/T-4th) of the Pac-10 Conference. The event marked the official start of activities for the Thursday, Dec. 22nd (5:05 PST on ESPN) showdown between the Cougars and the Golden Bears at Sam Boyd Stadium..

Representatives from the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority gathered on the Strip to welcome the head coaches and athletic directors from BYU and Cal in true Las Vegas fashion. The press conference also featured appearances by two player representatives: BYU's John Beck, a junior First Team All-MWC quarterback, and Cal's Marvin Philip, a senior finalist for the Rimington Award, which honors college football's top center.

"What an exciting time this is for the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl as we get set to host two prestigious football programs that will play before what is shaping up to be a record-setting crowd," said Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl Executive Director Tina Kunzer-Murphy. "The Las Vegas community and fans of both BYU and Cal are looking forward to a truly memorable meeting on December 22."

The 14th edition of the game features a competitive matchup between two high-scoring institutions making their first-ever appearance in the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl. This will be the third all-time meeting between the Golden Bears and the Cougars as BYU won games in 1999 and 2001.

Holding a 7-15-1 all-time record in bowl games, BYU will be making its first postseason appearance since the 2001 Liberty Bowl. While this will be their first-ever trip to the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl, the Cougars are no strangers to Sam Boyd Stadium. After defeating UNLV 55-14 on November 5, they boast a 7-1 record in Las Vegas, which includes a 28-25 overtime victory over Wyoming in the 1996 Western Athletic Conference Championship and a 30-13 loss to Air Force in the 1998 WAC title clash.

"We're excited about the opportunity to play in the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl and the fan support that is building for the game is impressive," BYU Head Coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "This will serve as an appropriate way to measure our program in relation to the goals that have been established."

Earning its 16th bowl trip overall, Cal, which spent time ranked in the nation's top 10 this fall, will be making its third consecutive postseason appearance for the first time since 1948-50.

"The team is very excited about the opportunity to go to the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl and play in the game," Cal head coach Jeff Tedford said. "We get to match up with one of the top teams in the Mountain West Conference. BYU has such a great tradition."

Overall, Pac-10 Conference teams have played in the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl five times and hold a 3-2 record. Schools now in the MWC have combined to play in nine such games and hold a 5-4 record, including a 4-2 mark since splitting from the WAC and forming the new league in 1999. BYU will try to make it two in a row for its league after Wyoming won last season's affair 24-21 over UCLA.

Players, coaches, administrators and fans from both teams will enjoy a complete bowl experience combined with the unmatched entertainment and attractions of Las Vegas, a world-renowned event and resort destination that attracted more than 36 million visitors in 2004. As part of Bowl Week, the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl will host events at some of the city's most exciting venues. The event lineup includes a Welcome Reception at the ESPN Zone (Monday, Dec. 19); Show Night in Las Vegas, featuring Blue Man Group at the Venetian (Dec. 19); Sunrise Children's Hospital Visit (Tuesday, Dec. 20); the Outback Buffet Bowl and Pep Rally at the Golden Nugget/Fremont Street Experience (Dec. 20); and the Kickoff Luncheon at the Las Vegas Convention Center (Wednesday, Dec. 21), which this year features ESPN College Football Analyst Lee Corso as the keynote speaker.

The Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl will be televised live on ESPN, beginning at 5:00 p.m. (PT) on Thursday, Dec. 22. Sean McDonough will handle the play-by-play duties alongside analyst Mike Gottfried while Alex Flanagan reports from the sidelines. The game will also be broadcast on the Sports USA Radio Network. Larry Kahn will handle play-by-play while former UNLV and NFL coach John Robinson will be on hand as analyst.

Sam Boyd Stadium, which can hold up to 40,000 fans, will once again serve as the host venue for the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl.

A limited number of tickets are available now by calling (866) 388-FANS or at www.unlvtickets.com. Additional information about the game can be viewed via at www.lvbowl.com.