Fiesta Bowl has roots in Peach Bowl

In 1970, Arizona State was a school in search of college-football credibility. After being denied bowl bids after 8-2 records in the 1967-69 seasons, the undefeated Sun Devils wangled an invitation to the 1970 Peach Bowl, which has since become the Chick-fil-A Bowl, by guaranteeing it would sell 5,000 tickets.

Along with the Sun Devils, a handful of Phoenix boosters came to Atlanta to see what they could learn about hosting a bowl game. Beginning in 1968, the group had sought to start a bowl to ensure a postseason game for Arizona State. Earlier in 1970, the group's application to the NCAA for a bowl was rejected. Stover and others picked the brains of Peach Bowl founder George Crumbley and other bowl organizers. They received insight into the NCAA extra-events committee and their strategies on running a bowl game.

"George basically walked them through [the application process] and helped them get started," said Albert Tarica, a Peach Bowl/Chick-fil-A Bowl volunteer for 42 years.

Said Shover: "They opened up their books to us. They showed the funding, how the sponsorships were made."

In April 1971, the NCAA approved a bowl game for Phoenix. The first Fiesta Bowl was played that December. It lifted elements from the Peach Bowl, such as team hospitality events and a pregame parade.

"We learned [from the Peach Bowl] how to promote the thing," Shover said.

In time, the game became such a success that Crumbley, who died in September 2009, sent Tarica to Phoenix to see what lessons could be learned. The Fiesta Bowl's weather and payout helped it surpass the Peach Bowl, which nearly went out of business in the mid-'80s.

The Fiesta Bowl moved to New Year's Day in 1982. Perhaps its biggest break was the 1987 game, when it landed No. 1 Miami vs. No. 2 Penn State, a game that produced a TV rating that still stands as the highest for a college-football game.

In 1992, it became part of the Bowl Coalition, which ultimately led to the Fiesta becoming part of the BCS and one of the game's four biggest bowls. On Monday, Auburn and Oregon will play in the seventh national title game that Fiesta Bowl organizers have hosted.

It's a long way from the 1970 Peach Bowl, which, by the way, Arizona State won over North Carolina in the snow and sleet at Grant Field to finish 11-0.

Said Shover, "It worked out really well for us."