SLIDESHOW: MAACO Bowl Las Vegas Activities
By now, it's almost as if BYU's football schedule should include the Las Vegas Bowl when the list of games is released before the start of the season.
After all, the Cougars are making their fifth straight trip to the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl, having gone 2-2 in the previous four years with wins over Oregon and UCLA at Sam Boyd Stadium and losses to California and Arizona, and once again checked into the Planet Hollywood hotel Saturday upon their arrival.
While the advertised atmosphere surrounding Las Vegas is contrary to the honor code standards at BYU, the No. 15-ranked Cougars feel right at home preparing for Tuesday's game against No. 16-ranked Oregon State.
"The MAACO Las Vegas Bowl has been very good to BYU," said BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe. "We are excited to earn a fifth straight bowl invitation with our fourth consecutive 10-win season under Coach (Bronco) Mendenhall. This year's contest between two nationally-ranked teams should be one of the best bowl matchups around."
But along with Tuesday's game (6 p.m., ESPN), there is a long list of activities surrounding the bowl that will keep the Cougars busy. There are the usual media press conferences and today's pep rally, but the players and coaches also get involved in service projects to help the community.
"Every bowl in the country owes a lot to the community that supports them, and the teams that take part feel that way so they want to give back to the community that they're playing in and support the game that they're going to have so much fun playing in," said Mark Wallington, UNLV director of media relations, who is heavily involved with the Las Vegas Bowl.
New to this year's service was having two different community events for the two teams take place closely to the same time on Sunday. Two players from each team visited a playroom in the Sunrise Children's Hospital to spend time with patients. The setting was a little different this year because in years past the players went up and down the hallways, but due to H1N1 concerns, selected children were in the playroom and the visit took place there rather than the hospital rooms.
"I've heard year after year student-athletes who go through Las Vegas Bowl week say the most-memorable part of that week is making that hospital visit to the pediatric center," Wallington said.
The new twist this year was the Goodie Two Shoes Foundation event, which had coaches and players from both teams assist the foundation in providing 250 disadvantaged children from the Las Vegas area with much-needed new shoes and socks.
"Their Christmases will be a lot brighter because they got a brand-new pair of shoes and socks and some souvenirs from the teams," Wallington said. "There were a lot of smiles."
Similar activities are going on in San Diego, where No. 23-ranked Utah will take on Cal on Wednesday (6 p.m. ESPN). Along with Tuesday's pep rally, Utah is also getting out to see parts of San Diego.
The Utes spent a few hours at Sea World on Sunday, and then used the evening to provide some service of their own during a Make-A-Wish visit with team captains and coach Kyle Whittingham.
So when the two Beehive State teams finish their bowl weeks on the field, the result of the games may not be the memory that sticks with the coaches and players.
"It makes the whole week worth while, from both sides," Wallington said. "The community becomes more invested in the bowl when the participating teams give back, and when the players do these kinds of events it's the most-memorable part of the week."
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