BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The University of Florida, representing the Southeastern Conference, and East Carolina University from the American Athletic Conference will meet in the ninth annual Birmingham Bowl, bowl officials announced Sunday.
The Birmingham Bowl will be played Saturday, Jan. 3, 2015 at Noon (ET)/11 a.m. (CT) at historic Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala. and will air nationally on ESPN and ESPN Radio.
The 2015 Birmingham Bowl will be the second meeting between the two teams who last played in 1983. The Gators and Pirates are scheduled to meet again in Gainesville during the 2015 regular season.
“We are pleased to select the Florida Gators and the East Carolina Pirates to play in the 2015 Birmingham Bowl,” said Mark Meadows, Executive Director of the Birmingham Bowl. “We have a serious football match-up featuring two teams that will generate a lot of excitement at historic Legion Field on January 3rd. We look forward to treating the Gators and Pirates fans to some Birmingham style southern hospitality while they are in town during bowl week!”
Florida (6-5, 4-4 SEC) is bowl eligible for the first time since finishing the 2012 season with a berth in the Sugar Bowl. This will be the Gators’ 41st all-time bowl appearance. Florida last played in Birmingham when they defeated the University of Alabama 28-13 at Legion Field in the 1993 SEC Championship game.
D.J. Durkin will coach the Gators in the Birmingham Bowl, replacing former head coach Will Muschamp who stepped down at the end of the regular season.
“We’re very excited to be heading to the Birmingham Bowl,” said Durkin. “Our guys are ready to get back on the field to begin preparation to face a very good ECU team.”
“We are excited to be headed to Birmingham for the Birmingham Bowl,” said athletics director Jeremy Foley. “Our players, coaches and staff are looking forward to traveling to the home of the conference office and representing the University of Florida.”
ECU (8-4, 5-3 American) is making its third consecutive bowl appearance and 20th bowl appearance overall. The Pirates played USF in the inaugural Birmingham Bowl in 2006. East Carolina is no stranger to Birmingham and Legion Field, where they played regularly as members of Conference USA from 2001 until 2013. The Pirates last played at Legion Field in 2012, defeating UAB 42-35.
The Birmingham Bowl marks the fourth bowl game at ECU for coach Ruffin McNeill.
“We are looking forward to the challenge of playing Florida, a program rich in tradition out of a conference which has our highest respect,” McNeill said. “We are excited to have another opportunity to accomplish something special for this senior class, especially against a team the caliber of the Gators.”
“The Pirate Nation is excited to be invited to play in the Birmingham Bowl and I know our team is anxious to get back on the field and compete one more time this season,” ECU Director of Athletics Jeff Compher said. “As is normally the case, we expect our loyal and passionate fans to show up in force in Birmingham for some great hospitality and outstanding football to kick off the new year.”
Tickets to the Birmingham Bowl are now on sale and may be purchased by phone at 877-464-9529 and online at www.birminghambowl.com. Tickets are also available at the Legion Field Box Office now through game day. Corporate packages, which include premium ticket locations, hospitality benefits and corporate exposure, are available now by calling 205-733-3776 ext. 102 or emailing [email protected].
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