Texas Bowl

Tickets for the 2009 Texas Bowl went on sale to the general public Monday, November 2 at Noon CT. 

The Texas Bowl has already sold over 45,000 tickets through renewals and an exclusive pre-sale to bowl game partners, which is ahead of last year’s pace.  A year ago, the bowl sold just over 38,000 tickets prior to the public on-sale date and ultimately drew a crowd of 58,880.

“This year promises to be the best Texas Bowl yet.  We’re farther ahead than we’ve ever been at this point and we are expecting a great matchup,” said Texas Bowl manager Heather Houston.  “Nearly every Big 12 school still has a chance to become bowl eligible and Navy only needs one more win, so we encourage fans to act quickly before all the best seats get snapped up.”

Tickets, which start at just $15, may be purchased online at TicketMaster.com, on the phone at 832-667-2390 or in person at the Reliant Stadium box office inside Budweiser Plaza.  Game tickets will also grant fans admittance to TexFest, a Texas-sized pregame party featuring live music as well as “spirit walks” in which the teams will enter the stadium by walking a path through the fans.

Also on sale today is the Texas Bowl Team Luncheon held during Bowl Week at the JW Marriott on Tuesday, December 29th.  The Team Luncheon, which benefits the Touchdown Club of Houston, offers fans a chance to interact with players in a one-on-one setting and will include talks by both participating head coaches as well as select players from the schools.  Individual tickets start at $45 and sponsor tables can be purchased for $1,000.  Go to http://www.texasbowl.org/events for more information.

The 2009 Texas Bowl will be televised live nationally on ESPN at 2:30 p.m. CST on Thursday, December 31.  Locally, the game will be heard on KTRH 740 AM.

The 2009 Texas Bowl will feature a Big 12 Conference school against the United States Naval Academy.  The Midshipmen need one win in their final four games to become bowl eligible.  After the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) pairings have been set, the Texas Bowl holds the the seventh choice among Big 12-affiliated bowls. 

The Texas Bowl has been a tremendous success both on and off the field over its first three years.  The bowl has generated an average of $25 million per year for the Houston economy.  The bowl boasts over 25,000 season ticket holders and sold over 50,000 tickets before its teams were announced last year.

Over its three-year history, the Texas Bowl has donated over $200,000 and over $5 million in promotional support and publicity to DePelchin Children’s Center, the bowl’s official charitable beneficiary.

Last year, a partisan crowd of 58,880 fans saw Rice capture the school’s first win in a bowl game since 1954, defeating Western Michigan 38-14.  QB Chase Clement garnered MVP honors after passing for 307 yards and three touchdowns, rushing for 72 yards and a score, and catching a 13-yard touchdown pass.

TCU defeated the University of Houston, 20-13, in the 2007 Texas Bowl before a crowd of 62,097.  The audience was the third-largest crowd ever to see a college bowl game in Houston.  The 2007 Texas Bowl attracted the eighth-largest crowd among non-BCS bowls last year. 

The inaugural Texas Bowl was played on Thursday, December 28, 2006 at Reliant Stadium.  Rutgers defeated Kansas State, 37-10, before a crowd of 52,210, the largest crowd to witness a bowl game in Houston not involving a Texas team since 1972.