Sugar Bowl reps are happy with UH fans

About how the Sugar Bowl rep was happy with the way the UH fans traveled to New Orleans, Karl Benson said:
"I think he was joking, but, seriously, they were very happy with the Hawai'i turnout. Both the Sugar Bowl and Fox were very happy with what Hawai'i brought to the game." (HA)

HA Note: "A Sugar Bowl representative told members of the Bowl Championship Series yesterday that he isn't sure all the Hawai'i fans have left New Orleans yet. " 'There may still be some (Warriors' fans) on Bourbon Street,' they said," recounted Western Athletic Conference commissioner Karl Benson, who is attending the annual meetings that wind up in Hollywood, Fla. today."

About the Sugar Bowl, Paul J. Hoolahan, Sugar Bowl CEO, said:
"we were absolutely delighted with the turnout." (HA)

HA Note: "Hoolahan said it has been difficult to tab the number of Hawai'i fans — both those from the Islands and Mainland — who attended the game but said estimates of 15,000 to 20,000 "are about right." There had been fears entering the game that Hawai'i would have scant representation, so much that UH took 4,000 tickets less than the full 17,500 initial allotment."

HA Note: "The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau has said the two biggest post-Katrina passenger days at Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport were the day following the Sugar Bowl (18,000) and the Tuesday after the BCS Championship game (19,000)."

About how UH's appearance in the Sugar Bowl was extremely positive, Benson said:
"I think the reaction from both Fox and the Sugar Bowl is that leading up to the kickoff was a home run. And the outcome of the game certainly didn't do anything to diminish that impact Hawai'i had on the Sugar Bowl." (HA)

Despite the 17% drop in ratings from the previous New Year's game (BSU vs. Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl), Dan Bell, Fox VP for communications, said:
"We are pleased with the rating because the Sugar Bowl helped us dominate all other television competition that night." (HA)

HA Note; "Fox said the Sugar Bowl and its pre-game show combined for a 12 percent win over second-place NBC in the "key" adults age 18-to-49 demographic."

Sugar Bowl spokesman Duane Lewis said that the Sugar Bowl rating was:
"a very solid rating. Given the fact that the game was lopsided, it was still a good number." (HA)

About how UH and BSU were featured by Fox, Benson said:
"Hawai'i and Boise State had prominent parts in Fox's media presentation (yesterday)." (HA)

HA Noet: "The WAC has been touting its consecutive appearances in the BCS as the only non-BCS signatory to manage the feat with "Back to Back" T-shirts featuring UH and Boise State logos mailed out to national media."

Touting Fresno State this year, Benson said:
"we had Boise in the Fiesta Bowl, Hawai'i in the Sugar Bowl, so why not Fresno State in the Orange Bowl this season?" (HA)