UCLA FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: ROLLING A SIX MIGHT BE ENOUGH TO GO BOWLING.

Byline: BRIAN DOHN Staff Writer

TEMPE, Ariz. -- If the Pacific-10 Conference doesn't have six teams with at least seven wins, UCLA likely would go to the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl if it finishes with six wins.

The bowl, played Dec. 24 in Honolulu, is excited about the possibility of UCLA playing the hometown Hawaii Warriors, which already accepted a bid.

``We'd love to have UCLA,'' said the bowl's executive director, Jim Donovan. ``They're a great program and there are so many direct flights from LosAngeles to Hawaii, it's fairly price-efficient for (fans) to make the trip out here.''

UCLA (5-5) has games against Arizona State (tonight) and USC (Dec. 2) remaining, and would clinch a bowl bid with wins in both.

However, if the Bruins split and there are less than six league teams with seven wins, the Hawaii Bowl would likely give the nod to a UCLA team over other six-win teams from the Pac-10, partly because of television ratings, sources said.

However, it is possible a six-win UCLA team would get shut out of a bowl.

NCAA rules allow a conference to use a 6-6 team to fill any pre-arranged agreement with a bowl. The Pac-10 has six bowl agreements, and USC, California and Oregon each have seven or more wins.

Furthermore, Washington State (6-5) hosts Washington today and Oregon State (6-4) plays at Stanford. If Wazzu and Oregon State win (they are both big favorites), the Bruins would have to beat Arizona State (6-4) to be eligible for a Pac 10 bowl.

But even if UCLA does not fit into one of the Pac-10 bowl slots, the Bruins could land in the postseason at 6-6.

There are 32 bowl games. Any team finishing with seven wins, according to the NCAA, must be selected before a 6-6 team.

For example, if not enough seven-win teams exist to fill all bowl games, the Poinsettia Bowl (Dec. 19 in San Diego) could select UCLA, if it finishes 6-6. So far 43 schools have seven wins, eight others are 6-4, seven are 6-5 and 12 are 5-5.

McGee returns home: Receiver Jeremy McGee returned to his home in Louisiana on Friday after he learned his mother, Genell, died of a heart attack.

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UCLA (5-5) VS. ARIZONA STATE (6-4)

- Brian Dohn