HOUSTON, TEXAS (June 19, 2008) The 2008 Texas Bowl will be played on Tuesday, December 30 at Reliant Stadium, the Texas Bowl Committee announced today. The announcement was made in front of a crowd of over 200 at a Texas Bowl luncheon held at Reliant Stadium.
December 30 marks the latest date for the Texas Bowl in its three-year history. The bowl was played on December 28 in each of the last two years. The 2008 edition will feature teams from the Big 12 and Conference USA. The game will be broadcast nationally on NFL Network.
The Texas Bowl also announced an option to select Navy if the Midshipmen are bowl-eligible. Navy boasts a strong nationwide following, including a significant military population in the Greater Houston area. Navy has played in bowls following each of the last five seasons, including an appearance in the Houston Bowl in 2003 vs. Texas Tech.
Speakers at the luncheon included new University of Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin, Houston Texans preseason TV analyst Spencer Tillman and Texans linebacker and Texas Bowl alumnus Zac Diles. Houston played in the 2007 Texas Bowl prior to Sumlin’s arrival, and Diles played in the inaugural Texas Bowl with Kansas State in 2006.
In two years, the Texas Bowl has generated more than $50 million in local revenue and has built a season ticket base of over 20,000. The 2007 Texas Bowl was a rousing success as TCU defeated Houston, 20-13, in front of 62,097 fans—the third-largest crowd ever to see a college bowl game in Houston. Over 35,000 tickets sold before the matchup was announced.
The inaugural Texas Bowl featured a Rutgers team that enjoyed a top 10 ranking for much of the season and a Kansas State squad which closed the season strong under first-year head coach Ron Prince. Rutgers won the inaugural Texas Bowl, 37-10, behind an MVP performance from RB Ray Rice who ran for 170 yards and a touchdown.
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