WITH JEFF SIEMBIEDA
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SFR: The New Mexico Bowl is less than two weeks away. As executive director, is this crunch time?
JS:
It is crunch time in terms of selling tickets, but we're also working on our final marketing push. We're cutting new commercials today, and I have radio appearances around the state next week. All the major things have been done, but there are people still calling and wanting to be involved. So I guess that means we're doing something right.
Not bad considering the game was put together in less than eight months.
Well, it's even shorter than that. The announcement came in May and ESPN didn't sign on until June 19, so we didn't really get started until July. We've had a short run at it, but we've put together a great event. We completely had to invent the wheel this time around, but next year we're going to be able to put new tread on the tires.
How important was it getting ESPN on board?
It was huge. It wouldn't have happened without their involvement. They saw the promise in this market, so they came in, and now they own the game. Their financial backing is an obvious element, but those four letters also bring so much credibility. ESPN knows what they're doing and they know how to make things work. There's a reason they're going into these markets, and the markets obviously benefit from the bowl games.
What sort of impact are you expecting the game will have on New Mexico?
I think the impact is going to be felt bowl week as people come in and they stay at our hotels and go to our attractions and eat at our restaurants. But it's hard to quantify it for just what happens in bowl week because I think it's going to have an effect, as a tourism tool, throughout the year.
How critical is this game for New Mexico to show it can support a major sporting event?
I think it's essential for us that this succeeds. I guess in some respects, you can look at it as a testing ground. We're growing as a state on so many different levels, but now here's something that is pretty high-profile and the spotlight is on us. I'm not telling you we're the Rose Bowl. I get that. But people will watch this game, and if they see an empty stadium it's not going to reflect well. If they see a packed stadium with people who care, nothing but positive things will come out of that.
Is it anticlimactic at all having the University of New Mexico playing in the first New Mexico Bowl?
I wouldn't say that. I understand that the selection process is imperfect and that the bowl system is imperfect, but we didn't create it; it's a system in which we exist. That said, having New Mexico in the inaugural game creates an energy in our state and an awareness of this game. It's right for the first year.
Are you torn whenever UNM plays San Diego State?
When I first got here, I wasn't torn; I was rooting for San Diego State because it's my alma mater. But now that I know the people involved with the New Mexico program, it's gotten a little tougher. I've got a 7-month-old daughter, and the first thing I bought her was a little San Diego State outfit. I thought she'd wear it on Nov. 25 [during the UNM/SDSU game], but she didn't wear it. My wife had her in a Lobos hat.
Is it a good release for you to talk sports every day on your radio show ["The Big Show with Jeff Siembieda" on 1310 AM]?
Everywhere I go, people want to talk sports anyway, but I'm lucky that they give me two hours a day to run my mouth. I like to think we keep it somewhat entertaining and informative, but it is what it is. I mean, we're not curing cancer. We're not solving the world's problems. But 'release' is a good word for it. I enjoy it. It keeps my sanity, in some respects.
Do you think New Mexico can eventually sustain a major professional team?
Eventually, but I don't know that we've got enough people or enough of a corporate base yet. We're not ready to support something at the big-league level yet, but I like to believe that we're going to do it. We're not there yet, but we're close.
There are something like 32 bowl games this year. Has the college football postseason become diluted?
I think it's diluted to the point where the argument that you should have a winning record to get into a bowl is fair. But who's to say our community or Shreveport or Boise or any of these smaller cities that are supporting bowls shouldn't have one? I don't think there needs to be a lot more, and I can hear the saturation argument, but if the people are still watching the football-and the ratings will tell you that they are-and the communities are still supporting them, then why not?
You mentioned how an empty stadium would be bad for the state. How are ticket sales doing?
We're in good shape. We already have 25,000 [tickets sold], but I'd like to sell the place out. I think it's going to be a success, but there's also a lot riding on this for our state. We're trying to show off the uniqueness of New Mexico and the conduit is a football game. I don't want to be overly dramatic, but I think it can really help as far as the economic future of this state is concerned. In that respect, it's a lot more than just a football game.
The New Mexico Bowl between the University of New Mexico and San José State University will be held Saturday afternoon, Dec. 23, at University Stadium in Albuquerque.
