Another Sun Bowl success: A good crowd and a thrilling game
The 83rd edition of the Hyundai Sun Bowl game looks to be another success. Stanford and North Carolina battled at the Sun Bowl Stadium on a cold and cloudy El Paso day.
It was a thrilling game with NFL prospect Mitch Trubisky driving North Carolina down the field to get within two points of Stanford. The Cardinal kept the Tar Heels out of the end zone during the 2-point conversion attempt and held on for a 25-23 victory.
Attendance figures are not yet available, however, the stands appeared to be about 70 percent full by kickoff. Country singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw were in attendance to see their daughter, a Stanford cheerleader.
Sun Bowl Ticket Manager Ellen Hughes said sales leading up to the game were solid. While walk-up was expected to be affected due to gloomy weather and the threat of rain, Hughes said sales on game day were better than expected.
“Since the weather has held out, we’ve had a lot of walk-up sales,” Hughes told ABC-7. “Better than we thought.”
Last year’s Sun Bowl game between Washington State and Miami was marred by bad weather, including snow in the second half. The 41,180 that attended the 2015 game was the fewest since Sun Bowl Stadium expanded in 1982.
According to bowl officials, Friday’s game marks the third year of a six-year deal with CBS to televise the game, as well as title sponsorship from Hyundai and contracts for teams with the ACC and PAC-12. That means the game is secure, in terms of contracts, through the 2019 contest.
“A lot more people than the other bowls,” Sun Bowl volunteer and former State Rep. Pat Haggerty said on the sidelines as he scanned the stands. “It’s not full, but it looks full. We’re probably a few thousand short of full. Compare this to the other bowls and we’re in great shape. El Paso is a big supporter.”
El Pasoans once again showed up in force for the big game, filling the majority of the stadium.
“We never miss it! We come every year,” said Carlos, an El Pasoan who was rooting for North Carolina from the front row behind the Tar Heels bench. “It ended up being pretty nice out here. It’s a great thing for El Paso.”
ABC-7 also spotted country singer superstar Faith Hill in the crowd, supporting her daughter, who is a Stanford cheerleader. Sitting with Hill was her husband, country singer Tim McGraw. At one point the couple was spotted feeding elote to one another in the Sun Bowl stands, with a Sheriff’s deputy sitting nearby.
