It's not New Orleans, but fans eye Arizona: ; Travel packages, tickets available for WVU fans going to Fiesta Bowl

Travel agents hope that after a few days of grieving, WestVirginia University football fans will be ready to look towardArizona.

It's not the same as New Orleans, home of this year's nationalchampionship game, but Glendale, Ariz., is shaping up to be adesirable location for the blue-and-gold faithful.

Ranked No. 9 in the BCS standings, the Mountaineers will face theNo. 4 Oklahoma Sooners on Jan. 2 in the Fiesta Bowl. WVU would havelikely gone to New Orleans for a national title shot if it haddefeated the University of Pittsburgh Saturday.

Fiesta Bowl game tickets appear plentiful through venues such asInternet sites and local travel agencies.

Around the World Travel on Bridge Road is offering a packageincluding airfare, hotel and game tickets for less than $2,000, saidtravel consultant Terrie Metzger.

A charter plane will leave Charleston for Arizona, while somefolks can opt for a bus ride to Columbus, Ohio, and fly out of therefor a cheaper price, Metzger said. Other details are still beingwhittled out.

She said the price of their travel package would remain the sameleading up to the Fiesta Bowl. But she warned fans who areindependently booking their own travel plans to watch out forescalating prices heading into the hectic holiday travel season.

"Airfare is going up every minute, with the holiday season anddemand through New Year's," Metzger said.

National Travel, which is the official travel agency for the WVUAlumni Association, is offering three-night and four-night packages.

A three-night stay ranges between $1,300 and $2,600, while a four-night deal will cost between $1,400 and $2,800.

National Travel will book charter flights out of Charleston andClarksburg for Dec. 30.

Alumni Association spokeswoman Tara Curtis said members usingNational Travel will stay in Scottsdale, about a 30-minute drivefrom Glendale.

One of the hotels they can stay at is the luxurious Hyatt RegencyResort & Spa at Gainey Ranch, which sits on a two-and-a-half acre"water playground." The hotel features golf courses, tennis courtsand a spa.

National Travel customers can also stay at the ScottsdaleMarriott Suites Old Town, an all-suite hotel centered in thehistoric old town area. According to the hotel's Web site, eachsuite includes a separate living room, bedroom and oversized marblebath. In-room amenities include a well-lit work desk with high-speed Internet service, a wet bar, and refrigerator.

Ted Lawson, president of National Travel, said his agency madeaccommodations for Scottsdale because it is considered a premiervacation area.

"Scottsdale is a resort area," Lawson said. "It has tennis,championship golf, everything you'd want to do in a resort town.Great resorts are built out there because of the blue and sunnyskies."

It'll likely be warmer there, too. Temperatures in Glendale thisweek were in the mid-70s.

Lawson said National Travel is looking to accommodate anywherebetween 300 and 800 people for Fiesta Bowl trips.

The Mountaineer contingent should be in full force at theUniversity of Phoenix Stadium. But they would have come in largerdroves to New Orleans if the team had secured a national title spot.

Agencies such as Around the World Travel and National Travelreturned several deposits to customers following Saturday's loss.

National Travel received 2,000 deposits for $250 each last week.Now that a trip to New Orleans isn't happening, several of thosepeople have asked for their money back.

"There was an influx of people who wanted their deposits back,"Lawson said. "Some fans, who really follow them, will follow them toArizona."

Yet travel agencies are receiving new calls, too, inquiring aboutthe Fiesta Bowl.

"I think we still have some fans who are hanging in there," saidMetzger, at Around the World Travel.

If you want to find a ticket yourself, there are plenty ofoptions online. A quick search of eBay Tuesday turned up nearly 400auctions for Fiesta Bowl tickets.

Several items listed for sale there included four ticket packagesranging from $600 to $800.

At www.Stubhub.com, there were more than 600 listings for FiestaBowl tickets Tuesday. There, nosebleed tickets cost as little as$110 each. However, someone was selling unspecified generaladmission tickets for $10,000 each.

Tickets will also be made available through WVU. Non-seasonticket holders can purchase tickets starting at 10 a.m. Saturdayonline at www.WVUGame.com. Phone sales will begin 9 a.m. Monday bycalling (800) WVU-GAME.

Contact writer Jake Stump at jakestump@dailymail.com or 348-4842.