Never ceases to amaze me hearing Wake fans scoffing at a bowl. Any bowl.
Exactly Loh. While it is nice to Dream On......we have a small enrollment & fan base and haven't been to one since 2011. Let's get 8 wins and see where that puts us.
fter announcing its top tier bowl agreements last month, the ACC has now finalized its bowl lineup. Here is what the line-up will look like for the 2014 through 2019 seasons.
#1. Orange Bowl vs SEC, Big 10, or Notre Dame
If the ACC champion is not selected for the four-team College Football Playoff, that team will play in the Orange Bowl (Miami, FL) against Notre Dame or a team from the SEC or Big 10. In years when the ACC champion or another ACC team qualifies for the four-team national semifinals, then the next highest-ranked ACC team would play in the Orange Bowl. In years when the Orange Bowl is hosting one of the College Football Playoff semifinal games (e.g. 2016), the ACC champion will play in a host bowl -- either the Fiesta Bowl or the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
The selection of the ACC's opponent will be based on securing the highest-ranked team in the final standings available from either the Big Ten, the SEC or Notre Dame. The Big Ten and SEC are each guaranteed at least three appearances over the 12-year life of the deal. Notre Dame has no minimum guarantee and may only appear in the game a maximum of two times.
#2. Russell Athletic Bowl vs. Big 12
The Russell Athletic Bowl (Orlando, FL) will have the first selection of ACC teams after the Orange Bowl and College Football Playoff. The ACC will face the #3 team out of the Big 12.
#3. Capital One Bowl vs. SEC (conditional)
An ACC team will only play in the Capital One Bowl (Orlando, FL) when the Orange Bowl hosts a Big Ten team, presumably against an SEC opponent.
#3 through #6. Gator/Music City, Belk, Sun, and Pinstripe Bowls
The Gator Bowl (Jacksonville, FL), Music City Bowl (Nashville, TN), Belk Bowl (Charlotte, NC), Sun Bowl (El Paso, TX), and Pinstripe Bowl (New York City, NY) will be pooled together and selections will be made after the College Football Playoff, Orange Bowl, Capital One Bowl (when applicable) and Russell Athletic Bowl. Selections are expected to be based on geography, opponents, avoiding regular season rematches, etc.
The ACC will have full tie-ins with the Belk Bowl (vs SEC), Sun Bowl (vs PAC 12), and Pinstripe Bowl (vs Big 10). The ACC and Big Ten will split the Gator (vs SEC) and Music City (vs SEC) bowls with each conference receiving three appearances apiece during the 6-year cycle.
#7 through #9. Military, Advocare V100, and Detroit Lions Bowls
The Military Bowl (Annapolis, MD), AdvoCare V100 Bowl (Shreveport, LA), and Detroit Lions Bowls (Detroit, MI) will make selections after the #3 through #6 bowl pool. The ACC will face the American Athletic Conference in the Military Bowl and the Big 10 in the Detroit Lions Bowl. The opponent for the AdvoCare V100 Bowl has not yet been named. Selections are expected to be based on geography, opponents, avoiding regular season rematches, etc; however, the ACC has not announced if the bowls will be pooled or selection made based on records.
#10 and #11. Beef ‘O’Brady’s and Birmingham Bowls (conditional)
The ACC will have conditional tie-ins with the Beef ‘O’Brady’s Bowl (St. Petersburg, FL) and the Birmingham Bowl (Birmingham, AL). The ACC is guaranteed a spot in the Beef 'O' Brady's in 2014 and 2016 against the American Athletic Conference. The conference will be the bowl’s first conditional choice in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019 if either of its primary partners are not able to provide a team.
The Birmingham Bowl will be a second conditional bowl for the ACC, if it has an available team beyond the Beef ‘O’Brady’s Bowl choice. If available, the ACC will be the first conditional choice for Birmingham Bowl should either of that bowl’s primary partners not have an eligible team. Please note that the Conference will send a team first to the Beef ‘O’Brady’s Bowl, if that game has an opening, followed by sending a team to the Birmingham Bowl game.
Things to Note
- The ACC will have a minimum of nine guaranteed bowl berths in each of the six years after the 2014-19 seasons, with that number expanding to 10 in the 2014 and 2016 seasons due to the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl deal. The ACC will also have a minimum of 10 guaranteed bowl berths anytime a Big 10 team plays in the Orange Bowl.
- Notre Dame will have access to every ACC bowl game (minus the Orange Bowl). The Irish may displace any ACC team so long as their overall record is within one of the bowl-eligible ACC school (e.g. an 8-4 Notre Dame team could not be selected over a 10-2 ACC team, but the Irish could be selected over a 9-3 ACC team)