University of North Carolina Athletics
ACC Bowl Tie-Ins
November 21, 2014 | Football
With Carolina's electric win over Duke last night, the Tar Heels are bowl eligible at 6-5. The season finale against NC State--with both teams eligible for the postseason--will be significant in determining the destination. But with this year the first season for several ACC bowl tie-ins, here's a look at the league's bowl picture.
1. Playoff (TBA): It looks like Florida State will quality for the four-team College Football Playoff. That means...
2. Orange Bowl (Dec. 31 in Miami, 8 p.m., ESPN): The next highest-ranked ACC team will play in the Orange Bowl.
3. Russell Athletic Bowl (Dec. 29 in Orlando, 5:30 p.m., TBD): This bowl moves up in the league pecking order and gets the next selection after the Orange. There's a scenario where the Capital One Bowl could also be in play for the ACC, but it doesn't appear likely to happen this year.
4-7. TaxSlayer (Jan. 2 in Jacksonville, 3:20 p.m., ESPN)/Music City (Dec. 30 in Nashville, 3 p.m., ESPN), Belk (Dec. 30 in Charlotte, 6:30 p.m., ESPN), Sun (Dec. 27 in El Paso, 2:00, CBS), Pinstripe (Dec. 27 in New York, 4:30 p.m., ESPN): Here's where it gets complicated. These bowls are grouped and negotiate to choose teams as a pool based on geography, matchups, and a host of other factors. The ACC and Big Ten are splitting the Gator and Music City bids, meaning each league will receive three slots over the six-year life of the contract.
8-10. Duck Commander (Dec. 27 in Shreveport, 3:30 p.m., ABC), Quick Lane (Dec. 26 in Detroit, 4:30 p.m., ESPN), Military (Dec. 27 in Washington, D.C., 1 p.m., ESPN): Similar to the group above, these bowls will make selections with at least some consultation with each other.
11. BITCOIN (Dec. 26 in Tampa/St. Pete, 8 p.m., ESPN): This is a conditional agreement but is a guaranteed slot this season.
