The Washington Huskies play their second-to-last football game of the season Saturday against Cal in Berkeley. And, even though the Huskies are just 4 and 6, sports commentator Art Thiel tells KPLU’s Kirsten Kendrick the stakes are high for this game.
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Due to this week’s bad weather, Art joined Kirsten by phone.
The Huskies haven’t been to a bowl game in seven years. Art says it’s almost an embarrassment not to make it to one these days: there are 35 bowl games and only 120 Division 1 college football teams. Art says he would rather see a playoff system set up rather than so many bowl games.
The Huskies only need a record of 6-6 to qualify for a bowl game and they’re currently 4-6. They have to win their final two games – Saturday against Cal and the Apple Cup next week in Pullman.
For the UW program, getting to a bowl game this year would be more than just a reward for the players. Art says it would be a chance for the university to court its wealthy boosters and hit them up for the $50 million in private donations needed to help fund a renovation of Husky Stadium.
“They need to show progress in the football program and going from 5-7 to 6-6 and making the first bowl game for Washington in eight years would certainly be a cause for celebration.”
Appearing in a bowl game pays a university about $850,000. But Art says it costs much more than that to house the team, coaching staff, band, cheerleaders and other support personnel in the host city for a week. But the universities consider bowl games good publicity, so they’re willing to pay the price.
