Starr Resigns as Director of Freedom Bowl

Citing frustration and fatigue after six years of trying to build the Freedom Bowl into a major event, Tom Starr resigned Wednesday as the football game’s executive director.

“I feel like the world’s been lifted off my shoulders,” said Starr, the bowl’s director since its inception in 1984. “I don’t know if you want to call it burnout or what, but this is something I’ve been thinking about doing for a long time.”

Starr, 41, said that he was disappointed over the inability to attract a title corporate sponsor, and the game’s failure to generate more interest among Orange County sports fans. The 1989 Freedom Bowl--in which Washington beat Florida, 34-7, Dec. 30--drew 33,858 to Anaheim Stadium.

Starr said the added responsibility of staging the recently approved Disneyland Pigskin game contributed to his decision to resign. The inaugural preseason game is tentatively scheduled Aug. 26, with Colorado, Florida State, Notre Dame and Miami among the schools being considered to play.

In addition to Starr’s resignation, the Freedom Bowl board of directors announced that it had changed the name of the organization to the Orange County Sports Assn.