Haka Bowl
Encyclopedia
The Haka Bowl was a proposed American
college football
game scheduled to be played in New Zealand
in 1996.
Named for the traditional Māori haka
, and promoted by NFL linebacker Riki Ellison
, the Haka Bowl was planned to be the first post-season bowl game to be played outside the United States in half a century, since the Bacardi Bowl
in Cuba
in 1946. The game (which also would be the first NCAA football game played in the Southern Hemisphere
), was to have been played at Eden Park
in Auckland, New Zealand, matching up the third place teams from the Pacific-10 Conference and Western Athletic Conference
. The payout for participating teams was set at $1.5 million, double the NCAA's standard minimum at that time, and the minimum payout set for an international game.
However the contest, scheduled for December 27, 1996, was never played: when the Haka Bowl committee could not come up with financial guarantees, the NCAA revoked the license for the game, and the idea died. It would be another decade, until the International Bowl
was played in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
on January 6, 2007, that a college football bowl game would be played outside the United States.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
game scheduled to be played in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 1996.
Named for the traditional Māori haka
Haka
Haka is a traditional ancestral war cry, dance or challenge from the Māori people of New Zealand. It is a posture dance performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted accompaniment...
, and promoted by NFL linebacker Riki Ellison
Riki Ellison
Riki Morgan Ellison is a former linebacker, who went by Riki Gray while in college at USC as an All Pac 10 player in 1982.-College career:...
, the Haka Bowl was planned to be the first post-season bowl game to be played outside the United States in half a century, since the Bacardi Bowl
Bacardi Bowl
Bacardi Bowl was a college football bowl game played seven times in Havana, Cuba at La Tropical Stadium. Sometimes referred to as the Rhumba Bowl or the Cigar Bowl, the game was the climaxing event of Cuba’s annual National Sports Festival. The first five occurrences matched an American college...
in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
in 1946. The game (which also would be the first NCAA football game played in the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
), was to have been played at Eden Park
Eden Park
Eden Park is the biggest stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is used primarily for rugby union in winter and cricket in summer . The ground also occasionally hostts rugby league matches. To accommodate all three sports, the cricket pitch is removable...
in Auckland, New Zealand, matching up the third place teams from the Pacific-10 Conference and Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
. The payout for participating teams was set at $1.5 million, double the NCAA's standard minimum at that time, and the minimum payout set for an international game.
However the contest, scheduled for December 27, 1996, was never played: when the Haka Bowl committee could not come up with financial guarantees, the NCAA revoked the license for the game, and the idea died. It would be another decade, until the International Bowl
International Bowl
The International Bowl was a National Collegiate Athletic Association collegiate American football bowl game played in Toronto from 2007 through 2010...
was played in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on January 6, 2007, that a college football bowl game would be played outside the United States.
External links
- NCAA revokes certification for Haka Bowl broken link