Four revenue sources critical for Sun Bowl’s survival

The 84th Annual Sun Bowl is Friday and organizers say one of the longest standing bowl games in history would be possible without the fans and certain partnerships.

The four main components that generate the Hyundai Sun Bowl’s budget will be critical once again this year.

Partnerships with Hyundai and CBS, ticket sales and the city’s car rental tax make up the bowl game’s $6 million budget. Sun Bowl Association executive director Bernie Olivas said, that of the four components, ticket sales were the only one that varied. The rest are generated by contract.

“It helps us maintain the status as far as where we sit in the bowl picture,” Olivas said. “With so many bowls around now, we need to pay more. And the rental car tax helps us as well with the other three sources of income. We rely heavily on those. Three of those four are stable, we have contracts and we get what they give us and that’s it. The only that is variable is ticket sales.”

Part of the budget will be used for the $4.5 million payout that will be split and paid to Arizona State and NC State. The Hyundai Sun Bowl ranks in the top 50 percent in payout of the 40 bowl games.

However, things could change come in two years when contracts are up. “They expire after the 2019 bowl game, as our contract with CBS, and two contracts with our two conferences,” Olivas said. “Everything expires after the 2019 game.”

Olivas said the bowl game is expected to sell around 40,000 tickets by kickoff, which is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 29 at 1 p.m.