Tempe, Arizona Welcomes Football Fans as Sun Devil Stadium Hosts Insight Bowl This December

Tempe, Arizona, December 7, 2006 – As the college football season winds down, the excitement in sunny Tempe, Arizona is just beginning to heat up. The Tempe Convention and Visitors Bureau (http://www.tempecvb.com) is proud to announce that the Insight Bowl is coming to Tempe’s Sun Devil Stadium on December 29, 2006.

Previously held in Phoenix, the Insight Bowl has now moved to one of the most unique college stadiums in the country, Sun Devil Stadium. With the new venue comes a new match-up. Teams from two of the premier conferences, the Big Ten and Big XII, will compete for the Insight Bowl title. The game will be televised live to a nationwide audience on the new NFL Network. The Minnesota Golden Gophers have accepted a bid to play in the Insight Bowl and the competing Big XII team will be announced on December 3.

In addition to the big game at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona rolls out the red carpet for all of the visiting Insight Bowl fans before and after they cheer for their favorite team. The warm December weather is the perfect backdrop for a variety of activities, including mingling with other Insight Bowl football fans in the shops, restaurants and taverns in the pedestrian-friendly Mill Avenue District, located adjacent to Sun Devil Stadium. In addition visitors can enjoy exhilarating outdoor recreation in the scenic Sonoran Desert, engaging arts and cultural experiences and one of the nation’s top 10 New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Fans will want to extend their stay and take part in the Tempe Insight Bowl Block Party. This New Year’s Eve street party offers something for all ages, including rides, fireworks, beer gardens and national musical acts performing on multiple stages. The Tempe Mission Palms, Courtyard by Marriott Tempe Downtown, Twin Palms Hotel and many others are within walking distance to the Insight Bowl action at Sun Devil Stadium as well as the excitement in the Mill Avenue District, providing the ultimate level of convenience.

Whether it’s during the block party or before the Insight Bowl, the Mill Avenue District (http://www.tempecvb.com/downtown.asp) is a must-see. Urban and eclectic by day, and a pulsating street scene at night, Mill Avenue offers a truly remarkable shopping, dining and entertainment experience. Located adjacent to Sun Devil Stadium between Arizona State University and Tempe Town Lake, Mill Avenue is not just a place to be seen. It’s a place to belong. The pedestrian-friendly red brick sidewalks are filled with more than 100 shops, restaurants, bars and nightclubs.

If fans want to bring home more than souvenir Insight Bowl t-shirts and memorabilia, Arizona Mills fits the bill. This shopper’s paradise features popular name-brand stores and retail outlets including Last Call from Neiman Marcus, OFF 5TH Saks Fifth Avenue Outlet, Kenneth Cole New York and high quality entertainment venues like GameWorks and IMAX Theatre.

Tempe, Arizona is located in the heart of the metropolitan Phoenix area. Tempe is easily accessible via four freeways and is just ten minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Tempe is also an ideal starting point for day or weekend trips to the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Tucson and Mexico

For more information on the Insight Bowl or to learn more about Tempe, Arizona hotels, dining and other attractions, please contact the Tempe Convention & Visitors Bureau at 800-283-6734 or visit (http://www.tempecvb.com).

About Tempe Convention and Visitors Bureau
The Tempe Convention and Visitors Bureau is a non-profit organization devoted to marketing Tempe, Arizona as a desirable visitor and group destination site. The Tempe Convention and Visitors Bureau’s mission is to also provide visitors, media professionals and meeting planners with information on Tempe hotels, Tempe restaurants, Tempe entertainment, and local points of interest. To learn more about Tempe, Arizona please call 480-894-8158 or 800-283-6734 or visit us at (http://www.tempecvb.com).