This is what our fearless AD had to say about possibly being invited to the Gator Bowl:
The University of Miami will benefit from any bowl that wants it, according to AD Blake James.
But a bid to a favorable Tier One bowl — despite six of 14 Atlantic Coast Conference teams making the situation more sticky with identical 7-5 records — is what the Canes believe they deserve, and will likely get come Sunday afternoon when bowl selections are finalized and announced.
How does a five-and-a-half-hour drive up the road to Jacksonville on New Year’s Eve sound? That could come to fruition if the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl gets the Hurricanes in their 7:30 p.m. Dec. 31 game against a SEC opponent.
James wouldn’t mind.
“I feel very good that we’ll be one of the teams selected for a Tier One bowl,’’ James told one of the local papers on Wednesday. “My understanding is the TaxSlayer [Gator] is going to be picking an ACC team this year.
“I talked with all the bowls. Do I think there’s interest from Jacksonville and the TaxSlayer in having Miami there? I do. But I’ve talked with the other [Tier One] bowls and there’s interest from all four. And that’s a credit to Mark Richt and our staff and the history of our program that we’re an attractive option. Bowls are trying to line up games that will give them the greatest opportunity to sell tickets and get eyeballs through their television deals.
“Obviously, Jacksonville is here in the state and that would probably be easier for our fans to get to, but there are great things about all of them, and I’m looking forward to our students having a great experience wherever we end up being.”
The last time UM played in the Gator Bowl was on Jan. 1, 2000 (1999 season) against Georgia Tech, a 28-13 win for the Canes, who at that point were in the Big East.
After the College Football Playoff (and other major bowl) selections, the four ACC-affiliated Tier One bowls: The TaxSlayer Gator Bowl at 7:30 p.m Dec. 31 in Jacksonville or the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 28 in Nashville — one of the bowls picks an ACC team and the other, a Big Ten team, to face the SEC representative; the Belk Bowl at 12:30 p.m. Dec. 29 in Charlotte, North Carolina; the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at 5:15 p.m. Dec. 27 at Yankee Stadium in New York City; and the Hyundai Sun Bowl at 2 p.m. Dec. 31 in El Paso, Texas.
I feel that the Gator Bowl will be great for our team. First it's fairly close to home. Plus cold weather won't be a factor. Thirdly we recruit heavily in the JAX area, and playing a game there can only help our recruiting.
Finally a message to Blake: don't be a pussy and force Richt to make upgrades to his offensive staff! It's absolutely necessary!
Signed,
The Entire Canesport Board
The University of Miami will benefit from any bowl that wants it, according to AD Blake James.
But a bid to a favorable Tier One bowl — despite six of 14 Atlantic Coast Conference teams making the situation more sticky with identical 7-5 records — is what the Canes believe they deserve, and will likely get come Sunday afternoon when bowl selections are finalized and announced.
How does a five-and-a-half-hour drive up the road to Jacksonville on New Year’s Eve sound? That could come to fruition if the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl gets the Hurricanes in their 7:30 p.m. Dec. 31 game against a SEC opponent.
James wouldn’t mind.
“I feel very good that we’ll be one of the teams selected for a Tier One bowl,’’ James told one of the local papers on Wednesday. “My understanding is the TaxSlayer [Gator] is going to be picking an ACC team this year.
“I talked with all the bowls. Do I think there’s interest from Jacksonville and the TaxSlayer in having Miami there? I do. But I’ve talked with the other [Tier One] bowls and there’s interest from all four. And that’s a credit to Mark Richt and our staff and the history of our program that we’re an attractive option. Bowls are trying to line up games that will give them the greatest opportunity to sell tickets and get eyeballs through their television deals.
“Obviously, Jacksonville is here in the state and that would probably be easier for our fans to get to, but there are great things about all of them, and I’m looking forward to our students having a great experience wherever we end up being.”
The last time UM played in the Gator Bowl was on Jan. 1, 2000 (1999 season) against Georgia Tech, a 28-13 win for the Canes, who at that point were in the Big East.
After the College Football Playoff (and other major bowl) selections, the four ACC-affiliated Tier One bowls: The TaxSlayer Gator Bowl at 7:30 p.m Dec. 31 in Jacksonville or the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 28 in Nashville — one of the bowls picks an ACC team and the other, a Big Ten team, to face the SEC representative; the Belk Bowl at 12:30 p.m. Dec. 29 in Charlotte, North Carolina; the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at 5:15 p.m. Dec. 27 at Yankee Stadium in New York City; and the Hyundai Sun Bowl at 2 p.m. Dec. 31 in El Paso, Texas.
I feel that the Gator Bowl will be great for our team. First it's fairly close to home. Plus cold weather won't be a factor. Thirdly we recruit heavily in the JAX area, and playing a game there can only help our recruiting.
Finally a message to Blake: don't be a pussy and force Richt to make upgrades to his offensive staff! It's absolutely necessary!
Signed,
The Entire Canesport Board
