BOWL CENTRAL | QUOTES
WACO, Texas - Baylor has accepted an invitation to play in the 2015 Russell Athletic Bowl Tuesday, Dec. 29 at 4:30 p.m. CT at the Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Fla. ESPN will televise the contest to a national audience.
"We are honored to be invited to the Russell Athletic Bowl and play a highly regarded opponent in the University of North Carolina," Director of Athletics Ian McCaw said.
Baylor, ranked No. 17 in the final College Football Playoff rankings and playing in its program-record sixth straight bowl, will face Atlantic Coast Conference member North Carolina (11-2, 8-0) in the contest. The Tar Heels are ranked No. 10 in the CFP rankings.
"Many of our fans have expressed a strong desire for Baylor Football to play strong competition outside of the Big 12, so this will be a wonderful opportunity for Baylor Nation to travel to Orlando for this exciting matchup," McCaw added. "I'm extremely proud of Coach Briles, his staff and team for working through last-season injuries to reach a bowl game for a school-record sixth consecutive season."
Baylor concluded its regular season with a 9-3 record and a 6-3 mark in Big 12 Conference play. The Bears feature the nation's best offense, which averages 48.0 points per game and 604.6 yards per contest.
The best ticket locations within the Baylor allotment have been reserved for Bears' fans who pre-ordered their tickets. Those fans who pre-ordered tickets will be contacted by the Baylor Athletic Ticket Office to finalize seat locations.
Tickets not claimed during the pre-order process are priced between $89-$157 each, and are on sale now to all fans. Fans looking to purchase those tickets may do so at www.baylorbears.com/tickets or by calling the ticket office at 254-710-1000, which is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Baylor students may purchase tickets later this week at the Bill Daniel Student Center Ticket Office. Student tickets, which cost $30 each, will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis. Further details on student ticket availability will be sent later this week by Student Activities.
Travel with fellow Bears fans on the Official Baylor Bowl Tour. Anthony Travel, in partnership with Baylor Athletics, Baylor Alumni Network/Baylor Sports Network and the Baylor Bear Foundation, has created official travel packages for the Bears' trip to the Russell Athletic Bowl. Visit AnthonyTravel.com for more information on the Official Baylor Bowl Tour.
BAYLOR FOOTBALL BOWL NOTES
- Baylor is playing in a bowl game for a sixth straight season for the first time in school history.
- Baylor earned its first-ever Russell Athletic Bowl berth.
- Baylor is 10-11 all-time in bowls game and 2-3 under head coach Art Briles.
- Baylor is 3-8 all-time in the state of Florida and 0-3 in bowl games in the Sunshine State.
- Baylor's other three bowl games in the state included: 1952 Orange Bowl (17-14 loss to Georgia Tech), 1954 Gator Bowl (33-13 loss to Auburn) and 1960 Gator Bowl (13-12 loss to Florida).
- Baylor last played in Florida in 1995 against Miami, losing 35-14.
- Baylor and North Carolina will meet for the first time.
- Baylor is 18-18 all-time against current ACC members.
- Baylor is 2-1 against current ACC members in bowl games with wins against Wake Forest, 20-7, (1948 Dixie), and Clemson, 24-18, (1979 Peach) and a loss to Georgia Tech, 17-14, (1951 Orange).
- Baylor last played a current ACC school on Sept. 5, 2009 -- a 24-21 win at Wake Forest.
- Baylor leads the nation in scoring (48.0 PPG) and total offense (604.6 YPG) for a third-straight season.
- Baylor is on a school-record streak of 48 consecutive weeks being ranked in the AP Top 25, which is the fourth-longest active streak in the nation.
- Baylor is 35-7 in its last 42 games.
- Baylor is the most successful team in Texas since 2011 with a win percentage of .766 (49-15).
- Baylor is 38-11 when ranked under head coach Art Briles.
- Baylor is 6-2 in December games under Briles.
- Baylor and Alabama are the only teams to beat at least one Top 10 team in each of the last five years.
QUICK FACTS ABOUT RUSSELL ATHLETIC BOWL
- Originally titled the Blockbuster Bowl, the game was born in Miami, Florida, in 1990.
- The bowl moved to Orlando in 2001.
- In the new College Football Playoff era, the bowl will match the top selection from the ACC (inclusive of Notre Dame) outside of the CFP series against the second selection from the Big 12 outside of the CFP series.
- In early 2012, Russell Athletic signed an agreement with Florida Citrus Sports to be the new title sponsor of the game through 2017.
- Big 12 teams have competed in the bowl on four previous occasions with a 1-3 record.
- Oklahoma lost to Clemson, 40-6, in last year's Russell Athletic Bowl.
To stay current on all things Baylor Football, follow the team on Twitter: @BUFootball.
