Georgia vs. Nebraska bowl rematch could mean bad turnout
Charter flights are being canceled due to a luck of fan interest in the Gator Bowl.
There’s a reason you don’t often see rematches in bowl games be they from the regular season or the prior postseason -- it’s hard to drum up excitement for a matchup you’ve already seen.
The 2014 Gator Bowl is learning this the hard way, as this year’s rematch between last year’s contestants (Georgia and Nebraska) is having a hard time drumming up the kind of interest that bowls need for ticket sales to thrive.
Travel agencies have canceled plans for chartered flights from Nebraska to the game, and the World-Herald says it’s due to a lack of fan excitement.
“I can’t recall a time when I’ve seen this little interest in travel for a bowl game,” said Rose White, a AAA Nebraska spokeswoman.
The disappointing seasons for each team has not helped, either -- both hoped to compete for conference titles but limped to 8-4 finishes. A former Nebraska player said less than a dozen seats had been sold on a 137-seat charter flight he organized for the game.
“Everybody is looking forward to next year,” said Steve Glenn, a walk-on offensive lineman for the Huskers in the 1970s who now runs a Lincoln travel agency. “I think people are ready to be done with this season.”
Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini is looking forward to the rematch, however -- his team lost to Georgia in the game last season, and will be hoping to exact revenge.
“I want to play a good football team, and a team that has a lot of tradition,” Pelini said Sunday night. “I don’t know why anybody would complain. What you’re looking for are good matchups.
“I think the familiarity of the teams will make it an even more attractive matchup. It should be fun.”
The Gator Bowl will kick off January 1 at 12 p.m. ET. The two teams hold a 1-1 tie in the all-time series -- Nebraska won the first meeting between the schools in 1969.
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