TITLE: Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Sun Bowl in El Paso.

SUMMARY: Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Sun Bowl in El Paso.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, The Sun Bowl in El Paso is celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2013, and this occasion provides a welcome opportunity to acknowledge the history and significance of this venerable football bowl game; and WHEREAS, Created by the El Paso Kiwanis Club in 1934 as a fund-raiser to benefit underprivileged children and to finance improvements to the El Paso High School Stadium, the first Sun Bowl was played on New Year's Day 1935; it pitted a team of El Paso High School all-stars against the high school squad from Ranger and ended with a 25-21 El Paso victory; and WHEREAS, Later that same year, area civic leaders decided to make the game a college competition, and the Sun Bowl Association was founded with a threefold purpose: to present a football attraction of national importance, to promote El Paso and the Southwest, and to generate tourism income for the area; the first collegiate Sun Bowl took place in 1936 between New Mexico State and Hardin-Simmons University and ended in a 14-14 tie; in subsequent years, the event often matched the champion of the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association against the best available opponent; and WHEREAS, The first game to be played in the present Sun Bowl Stadium was the 1963 contest, in which Oregon beat Southern Methodist University 21-14; the following year, the battle between Georgia and Texas Tech was the first to be televised, and each Sun Bowl since 1968 has been broadcast to a national audience by CBS; and WHEREAS, Originally built with a capacity of 31,000, Sun Bowl Stadium was later expanded to accommodate more than 51,000 people, with the renovation being completed in time for the 1982 bowl game between Texas and North Carolina; attendance has exceeded 50,000 for eight of the bowl games, including the 2010 showdown between Notre Dame and Miami, which drew a record crowd of 54,021; and WHEREAS, In 1986, John Hancock Financial Services entered into a multiyear contract with the Sun Bowl Association, making the game the first postseason classic to be commercially sponsored; subsequent sponsors have included Wells Fargo Bank, Vitalis, Brut, and Hyundai Motor America; and WHEREAS, Through the years, the Sun Bowl has provided fans with an opportunity to see some of the most talented individuals in the sport; both Tony Dorsett and Barry Sanders went on to win the Heisman Trophy the year after they appeared in the Sun Bowl; Mr. Dorsett is also among the Sun Bowl players who were later inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame, a group that also includes Sid Gillman, Don Maynard, and Merlin Olsen; two additional hall-of-famers, Sammy Baugh and Bill Walsh, coached in the Sun Bowl; other prominent alumni include Ara Parseghian, James Lofton, Priest Holmes, and LaDainian Tomlinson; and WHEREAS, In addition to producing a stellar football contest year after year, Bernie Olivas, the executive director of the Sun Bowl Association, and his fine staff routinely organize a number of other popular community events; in 2012, these included the FirstLight Federal Credit Union Sun Bowl Parade, the WestStar Bank Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational basketball tournament, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Sun Bowl International Soccer Tournament, the Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic, and the Sun Bowl Fan Fiesta; and WHEREAS, The Sun Bowl has been an integral part of the rich tradition of college football over the course of eight decades, while also serving as a valuable showcase for El Paso and the State of Texas, and this classic gridiron event is indeed deserving of acclaim in this special milestone year; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Sun Bowl, and extend sincere best wishes to the event's organizers for continued success; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for the Sun Bowl Association as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Marquez Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 443 was adopted by the House on February 28, 2013, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House