Tom Starr Named Fort Worth Bowl Executive Director

Tom Starr has been named the first executive director of the Fort Worth Bowl, a newly created college football bowl game to be played Dec. 23 at the Amon G. Carter Stadium on the campus of Texas Christian University.

Starr, who has been responsible for the marketing programs at the MainStay Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., since 1999, will begin his duties June 10 with the Fort Worth Bowl, which is owned and operated by ESPN Regional Television (ERT), a subsidiary of ESPN, Inc.

As the Fort Worth Bowl's chief executive, Starr will be based in Fort Worth where he will finalize the bowl game's office location and staff. He will also work with ESPN Regional Television to organize, operate and market the game in conjunction with TCU and Fort Worth officials.

Certified May 1 by the NCAA Football Bowl Certification Committee, the Fort Worth Bowl will be televised nationally Dec. 23 by ESPN at 6:30 p.m. (CST). The game matches teams from Conference USA and the Big 12 Conference. Ticket prices range from $25-$40 with a Fort Worth Bowl "Family" package (two adults and two children) costing $60. Priority for tickets can be arranged by telephoning 817/257-5502.

"We are very pleased to hire an individual with Tom's experience," said Chuck Gerber, executive vice president, ESPN Regional Television. "Having managed the Sun and Freedom Bowls as well as the Pigskin Classic, he brings a strong understanding of how to manage and promote a post-season event and the need for strong community involvement. In addition, his ability to utilize ESPN's many media platforms - including television, radio, Internet and print, will help us to reach fans and maximize the coverage opportunities for Fort Worth and this event."

A 1971 graduate of the University of Iowa, Starr will be returning to Fort Worth where he was the President and CEO of Starr Power Motivation (1996-99). In creating and managing Starr Power Motivation, he produced and presented seminars and speeches on time and stress management, prevailing traits of champions, setting and achieve goals, overcoming obstacles, mistakes and failures, and confronting fear.

"Fort Worth offers all of the elements that universities look for in a post-season bowl game - a fun trip for the teams and their fans," said Starr. "Fort Worth offers outstanding entertainment venues; an abundance of premier lodging facilities; centrally-located to a major airport hub in DFW; and a prime recruiting area for several of the top high school football players in the nation. I am extremely excited about the potential of the Fort Worth Bowl."

With 28 years of intercollegiate athletic management, Starr becomes the first executive director of three different bowl games. He previously served as Executive Director of both the Sun Bowl (1979-84 and 1992-96 in El Paso, Tex.) and the Freedom Bowl (1984-90, Anaheim, Calif.). While working with the Freedom Bowl, he was also instrumental in the formation of the Disneyland Pigskin Classic pre-season college football game in 1990 at Anaheim.

A Vietnam War veteran, Starr was a recipient of the 2000 Bud Dudley Bowl Executive Award. In addition to his extensive experience with television and sponsorship negotiations, Starr formulated and implemented a plan to have the Walt Disney Company donate $400,000 annually to the American Football Coaches' Association Retirement Trust Fund and $200,000 to the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.

Starr, who headed the fund-raising, marketing and image enhancement for the MainStay Independence Bowl, was the first executive director to pursue a title sponsor for a bowl game (Old El Paso for the Sun Bowl). Over the past three years, he increased the number of sponsors for the Shreveport bowl game by 58 percent along with being involved with the $35-million renovation of Independence Stadium.

Prior to his involvement with the Sun and Freedom Bowls, Starr was the Information Director for the Big Eight Conference (1973-77) and Sports Information Director at Iowa State University (1977-79) where he succeeded CoSIDA Hall-of-Famer Harry G. Burrell. Starr also worked as a Senior Vice President for Guyrex Productions of El Paso (1991-92). Married to the former Cathy Worsham, Starr is the father of a daughter (Cherish, 27) and a son (Carter, 17). Starr also earned an advanced communication degree from the U. S. Army's Adjutant General School in Indianapolis, Ind.

In addition to the Fort Worth Bowl, ESPN Regional Television owns and operates the ConAgra Foods Hawai'i Bowl and the Las Vegas Bowl. The Fort Worth Bowl also joins ESPN and ESPN2's extensive bowl lineup. Last year, the networks combined to present coverage of 20 college football bowl games, highlighted by Capital One Bowl Week, featuring 18 games in 10 days.