MIZZOU FANS INSIGHT.COM BOWL-BOUND
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
December 6, 1998
The University of Missouri-Columbia football team will play in the 1998 Insight.com Bowl in Tucson, Arizona, University officials announced today. Mike Alden, director of intercollegiate athletics, formally accepted the bowl invitation at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6, at the Dan Devine Pavilion on the MU campus. The Missouri Tigers will take the field at 7 p.m. CST (ESPN) on Saturday, Dec. 26, against the West Virginia Mountaineers.
"We congratulate Coach Smith and his team for another outstanding performance this season, " said J. Todd Coleman, executive director of the MU Alumni Association. "Alumni and friends of the University are excited to be bowl-bound once again, and we expect many of them to join us in Tucson." To assist Tiger fans with bowl travel arrangements, the MU Alumni Association has created a special bowl hotline. The toll-free number is (888) TGR-BOWL (847-2695) for callers outside the Columbia area and (573) 882-2155 for local Tiger fans.
Mizzou fans are invited to call the hotline to join the official bowl tour. Bowl trip reservations will be accepted through Dec. 18. Official bowl packages include two nights lodging in Tucson, baggage handling, game-day transportation, an official bowl trip souvenir, pre-game tailgate party and a football ticket. Hosted on-site information desks at all official hotels also are included. Land-only packages are available from $385 to $503 per person based on occupancy. Packages including charter air travel from Columbia are available from $839 to $959 per person.
To purchase game tickets only, please call the Athletic Ticket Office at (800) CAT-PAWS. Tickets will be assigned based on Tiger Scholarship Fund donor status. To join the Tiger Scholarship Fund, please call (573) 882-0704.
The Insight.com Bowl invited the Missouri Tigers (7-4) to be a participant in this year's game against the West Virginia Mountaineers (8-3). The Insight.com Bowl will be played in Tucson, Ariz., on Sat., Dec. 26, at 7 p.m. (CST) at Arizona Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
Missouri finished the year 7-4 and its trip to Tucson will be a homecoming for head coach Larry Smith who coached at the University of Arizona from 1980-86. Besides the Smith connection, Missouri assistants Ricky Hunley and Moe Ankney have Arizona ties. Hunley was an all-America linebacker under Smith at Arizona and Ankney coached at UA for Smith.
"Now that our matchup is complete, we are expecting a great game," said Tom Murphy, Tucson Commitee Chairman. "The fans from Tucson and the nation will see a great offensive show."
For additional information, contact the Insight.com Bowl at (520) 327-BOWL (2695).
QUOTES FROM THE TIGERS Director of Athletics Michael Alden
"The University of Missouri and in particularly our football program, are enthusiastically looking forward to going to Tucson and having the opportunity to play against the University of West Virginia."
Head coach Larry Smith
On Insight.com Bowl
"We very enthusiastically accept this bowl bid to the Insight.com to play West Virginia. We had a good season and we look upon this as another opportunity for us to make it a great season and that would be only with a bowl championship."
On waiting for the bowl announcement
"We knew we had earned a bowl, we just wanted to find out as quickly as we could were we were going to go and who we were going to play."
On West Virginia
"I know West Virginia very well, that's an excellent football team, its going to be a great game. It will be a very big challenge for us as coaches."
Senior quarterback Corby Jones
"We are excitied about going to Tucson and we would like to thank the Insight.com Bowl for selecting us. We are just ready to go beat West Virginia."
All-America senior tailback Devin West On going to the Insight.com Bowl "This is an honor for us that we are accepting this [bid to Insight.com Bowl]. I think we have some business to take care of, I'm going to issue a challenge to all my teammates, last year we were just happy to be in a bowl game, this year the challenge is to beat this team. I'm sure everyone will accept this and be ready to play."
All-Big 12 senior free safety Harold Piersey
On being selected for Insight.com
"Again we would like to thank the Insight.com Bowl for selecting us. Its going to be an exciting game.
On West Virginia
"Actually West Virginia is an excellent team with famous Amos (Zereoue) in the backfield. After we get through with this press conference, I think I'm going to go home and play Playstation and play with West Virginia because that's my man."
