BYU Football: Who Will Cougars Play in 2013 San Fran Bowl?

Apparently, the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl—formerly the San Francisco Bowl and Emerald Bowl—has had its eye on the BYU Cougars since 2002. 

According to the Bowl, it has finally reached an agreement to host BYU in 2013, assuming the Cougars are bowl eligible and aren't invited to a BCS bowl. 

But who would they play?

First of all, this is a decent move for the short-term, securing the Cougars a place to play in the 2012 postseason—details are scarce right now, but since the bowl is played in January (Jan. 9 this season) we assume the contract is for a January date following the 2012 season.

But this really needs to be a short-term solution for the Cougars. 

The venue for the bowl is downright awful.

The game is to be played in AT&T Park, a baseball stadium, home to the San Francisco Giants. The game configuration forces both teams stand on the same side of the field, and the spectator views are skewed.

Additionally, the payout is pretty lousy—under $1 million—in a bowl environment where most bowls pay well over $1 million. 

And then there's the opponent.

Right now, the bowl is set to get the sixth place team from the Pac-12.

The addition of two teams to that conference should help it fill tout its bowl contracts, but it's not a stretch to think the Pac-12 may not be able to fill that slot.

Cougar fans are probably looking at Arizona, Oregon State, or Cal, teams similar to those faced in the Las Vegas Bowl. 

Either way, the opponent is likely to be mediocre, and may even be the University of Utah. 

In the long run, BYU needs to play well on the field and draw good TV ratings.

Should that happen, it could work on a contract for a bigger payout and a more prestigious opponent. 

For now, however, having a post-season home—at least for a season—is a good start.