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PROVO, Utah (Nov. 18, 2006) - In a post-game ceremony following the Cougars' 42-17 victory over New Mexico on Saturday, BYU President Cecil O. Samuelson, Athletics Director Tom Holmoe and Head Football Coach Bronco Mendenhall accepted an official invitation to attend the 2006 Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl.
"We're thrilled to accept the invitation to the 2006 Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl," Holmoe said. "This is a credit to Coach Mendenhall, his staff and the team. We are pleased to represent the Mountain West Conference and we look forward to a match-up against a quality team from the Pac-10. We appreciate our loyal fans for their dedication and support, and for helping to re-establish the great tradition of Cougar Football."
The Cougars will make their 25th trip to a post-season bowl game, including their second-straight trip to the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl.
"I can think of no one better to be the first Mountain West champion to play in our 15th annual game than BYU," Executive Director Tina Kunzer-Murphy said. "Coach Mendenhall has quickly returned the Cougars to national prominence with an exciting brand of football."
BYU's back-to-back bowl appearances marks the first time since 1998-1999 the Cougars have been to a bowl game in consecutive seasons. It is the first time since 2001 BYU has been to a bowl game as the Mountain West Conference Champions.
"It's an honor to return to the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl as Mountain West Conference Champions," Mendenhall said. "We look forward to representing our great University and the Mountain West Conference. This is an honor that is reflective of the leadership of our team captains, as well as the senior leadership on this team. This is an honor that belongs to them. It is well-deserved."
An estimated 20,000-25,000 BYU fans traveled to Sam Boyd Stadium to attend the bowl game last season, helping to set an all-time attendance record for the Las Vegas Bowl. It was also the fourth largest crowd in the stadium's history.
After announcing on November 15th, the game had sold out, Kunzer-Murphy ordered the installation of an additional 4,100 seats for the game. Once available to the public, those tickets sold out in just five hours.
"The university's tremendous fan base helped us take this game to a new level last year and will do so once again on December 21st," Kunzer-Murphy said. "Our executive committee congratulates BYU and knows they will help make this year's Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl the best one yet."
In addition to a record crowd, the game drew a record television audience. The 14th annual Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl drew a 2.40 national rating on ESPN and ESPNHD, ranking an impressive seventh among the 20 bowl games broadcast during the season by the ESPN networks. The number represented an increase of 24 percent over the 2004 game between Wyoming and UCLA.
BYU will be looking for its first post-season bowl victory since upending Kansas State in the 1996 Cotton Bowl. Since that time, the Cougars have gone 0-4 in bowl games, including a seven-point loss to California in last year's Las Vegas Bowl.
"Attending a bowl game is part of the great tradition of this program," Mendenhall said. "Last year was a learning experience for us. With the leadership on this team that has manifested itself following last year's bowl game and throughout this season, we'll know more of what to expect and be prepared for the entire experience."
The Cougars own a 9-2 record on the season, including a 7-0 record against league opponents. BYU finished off its home season with a perfect 6-0 record, marking the first time since the 2001 season the Cougars have been undefeated in Provo. On the season, the Cougars are averaging 37.0 points per game, while holding opponents to just 13.8 points per contest.
"Our team has responded to and performed each week in a way that is reflective of the values and standards that have been established for this program," Mendenhall said. "With one more regular-season game ahead of us, we acknowledge this championship and appreciate the opportunity to return to the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl; however, we have established a model that has provided success throughout the season, and we don't intend to change that at this point. We'll celebrate this accomplishment appropriately then prepare for our next opponent."
The 23rd-ranked Cougars will wrap up the 2006 regular season on Saturday, Nov. 25 in Salt Lake City. BYU will take on in-state rival Utah, beginning at 1:30 p.m. (MST). The game will be broadcast live on both CSTV and the mtn.
The Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl, which is an ESPN Regional Television (ERT) owned-and-operated event, will begin at 5 p.m. (PST) on Thursday, Dec. 21. The game will once again be broadcast nationally on ESPN and ESPNHD.
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