Utah, BYU bowl tickets are still available

Trying to get some Poinsettia Bowl tickets for a Utah fan's last-minute roadie or Las Vegas Bowl tickets as a BYU fan's pre-Christmas stocking stuffer?

It may not be as difficult or as pricey as one might think, especially compared to last year.

For Ute fans, the Dec. 20 Poinsettia Bowl — in San Diego against Navy — is a much closer and more appealing location than last year's Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas. Ticket prices for this year's Poinsettia Bowl are in about the same range as last year's Armed Forces Bowl, but travel costs and times should be considerably less.

And for Cougar football fans, the Dec. 22 Las Vegas Bowl marks a third straight postseason visit to Sam Boyd Stadium. And while the game has been deemed a sellout since mid-October, tickets to the '07 BYU-UCLA pairing are easier and less costly to purchase now than at this time last year for the '06 BYU-Oregon contest.

Following are availability and cost updates for both bowl games. Local fans also may want to consider local outlets, including print and online classified ads. A caution — some trying to resell tickets are seeking extreme amounts, as evidenced below.

Utah: Poinsettia Bowl

Bowl-ticket demand will certainly not exceed supply at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium, which can seat nearly 71,000 for NFL games with the Chargers and has a 54,000-seat availability for San Diego State (although the Aztecs average about half that).

The inaugural Poinsettia Bowl in 2005 drew almost 36,000 for Navy's 50-31 victory over Colorado State, while nearly 30,000 watched TCU's 37-7 drubbing of Northern Illinois last year.

With a ticket allotment of 10,000, Utah is currently taking pre-orders through today for Poinsettia Bowl tickets, with priority given to Crimson Club members and seating assignments to be made by Saturday. The $45 and $35 ticket prices are $10 less than what one would find purchasing tickets through the Poinsettia Bowl's own online site.

The bowl's prices reflect a $10 per ticket increase on general-public sales after Nov. 1. A $33 ticket for upper-deck seating currently is available through the bowl's site.

Already having exceeded its 10,000-ticket allotment, Navy suggests on its online ticket site that fans attending the game instead purchase a $35 ticket to sponsor a traveling midshipman or enlisted person and their families.

Ute fans may consider online ticket brokers or auctions as purchasing alternatives.