Best Western Grosvenor Hotel at San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco Bowl Hotel
With a spectacular new venue, a host city ranked as one of the world's top tourist destinations, and the resources of the Giants, many key elements were already in place. And the prospect of bringing tens of thousands of fans from participating schools to San Francisco during the traditionally slow period between Christmas and New Year's sparked tremendous enthusiasm from the mayor's office and hospitality industry.
Cavalli and Gallagher filed an application with the NCAA and began to cultivate relationships with television networks, football conferences, and prospective corporate sponsors. At the same time, Pacific Bell Park began to build a reputation as a legitimate football venue. The first football game played at the ballpark, the 76th Annual East West Shrine Game, took place on January 13, 2001. Later that year, the XFL's San Francisco Demons moved into the facility and became the most successful franchise in the short-lived league.
A number of broadcast networks and conferences around the country expressed interest in a bowl game in San Francisco. The Bowl opted to partner with the Big East and Mountain West Conferences, which made early commitments to the new venture, and ESPN, which embraced the concept of a post-season game in prime time on New Year's Eve. A nonprofit entity, the San Francisco Bowl Game Association, was formed to promote and oversee the game, with Marks as its first president. Giants Enterprises was retained to provide game operations and management services, with Cavalli as executive director.
Contact Info
380 South Airport Blvd.·South San Francisco, CA 94080·Phone: (800) 722-7141·(650) 873-3200·Fax: (650) 589-3495
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