SEATTLE -- If the reaction of fans attending the first Seattle Bowl is any indication, the event may be short-lived.

An announced crowd of 30,144 turned out Thursday to see Georgia Tech defeat Stanford 24-14 at Safeco Field, known primarily as the home of the Seattle Mariners.

They watched a game played on a makeshift field, complete with the infield dirt that appeared to cause traction problems for players all day. The teams shared the same sideline. The temperature reached 50 degrees, but no warmer, under mostly cloudy skies.

There were some bright spots: It wasn't raining, which it does a lot in Seattle in December, and the few fans in the stadium's upper reaches had fine views of the city's waterfront and the snow-covered Olympic Mountains to the west.

The Seattle Bowl came to be after the bowl's co-owners, Fritz Rohlfing and Terry Daw, moved the game from Hawaii, where it was known as the Oahu Bowl.

It could well be the only football game ever played in 47,116-seat Safeco Field. Rohlfing and Daw, both from Hawaii, would like to play the game at the Seattle Seahawks' new outdoor stadium next year.

Many of those attending the game appeared to be curiosity-seekers -- fans of the University of Washington or Washington State University who cared little about the teams actually playing on the field. Georgia Tech and Stanford sold a combined 5,500 of their allotted 15,000 tickets, Seattle Bowl Spokesman Rob Sullivan said.

Stu Smith, a Washington State alumnus living in Seattle, said he didn't care who won. He said he only went to the game because a buddy gave him a free ticket. Smith said he doubts Seattle can attract enough fans to support a bowl game without a local team playing.

"Winter time in Seattle is not the best setting for a game," Smith said. "If you don't live here, who would want to come out here and freeze? I don't know if the game will last. I'll have to reserve judgment on that."

Other fans echoed Smith's sentiments about the cold weather and the future of a Northwest bowl game. Most were excited about the opportunity to see a bowl game in this area, but many wondered if fans from across the country would follow their teams to Seattle.

Stanford junior Tyler Williams, who lives in Seattle, said the city is too cold for a bowl game.

"I'd much rather be in Hawaii. Stanford folks don't want to come to Washington in the winter," Williams said. "Although I couldn't have brought my family to the game if it were somewhere else."

Mike Ruhl made the drive from Olympia to see the game.

"I'm a big college football fan, and I've never been to a bowl game so I thought I would check it out," Ruhl said. "I don't even care who wins."

Rob Bernstein, a Georgia Tech graduate living in Seattle, was more optimistic about the Seattle Bowl's chances, especially if the game can continue to attract quality teams. Bernstein said he would probably go to the game even if his favorite team weren't playing.

"I hope we have a good turnout," Bernstein said, scanning the crowd for Georgia Tech fans. "It's a long way out to Seattle."