Clemson Bowl Bound

by TigerNet Staff - Sun Dec 03 14:20:46 GMT-04:00 2006

NASHVILLE, Tenn., (Dec. 3, 2006) – Representatives of the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl Presented By Bridgestone announced today that Clemson University will represent the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in the ninth annual Bowl and go up against the Southeastern Conference’s (SEC) University of Kentucky. The game will be televised live Friday, Dec. 29 on ESPN at noon CST at LP Field.

"Nashville is very proud to host Clemson and Kentucky for this year's Bowl," said Mayor Bill Purcell. "We look forward to hosting the thousands of visitors that will travel to our great city to experience all that we have to offer. The Bowl is a wonderful opportunity to showcase Nashville not only to our friends from Clemson and Kentucky, but also to the nation."

Dale Polley, Bowl chairman, looks forward to this exciting match-up.

“We’re excited to host Clemson and Kentucky in this year’s Bowl,” said Dale Polley, Bowl chairman. “Tens of thousands of fans from across the Southeast will again visit Nashville on New Year’s Weekend. It is sure to be a busy time for local hotels, businesses and entertainment attractions.”

Clemson is led by one of the nation’s top running back duos, James Davis and C.J. Spiller. Davis and Spiller top the ACC’s most prolific offense as the Tigers lead the conference in scoring, rushing offense and total offense. Clemson is making its first postseason appearance in Nashville.

"We are excited to be selected for the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl Presented By Bridgestone,” said Terry Don Phillips, Clemson University director of athletics. “This will be our first appearance in the Bowl and it will be Clemson's first appearance in the city of Nashville for a college football game since 1960. Nashville is a great city and has a lot to offer in terms of entertainment for our fans. It is also a game that will take place in a state of the art NFL facility against Kentucky, an outstanding team from the SEC."

Kentucky has the SEC’s leading passer, quarterback Andre Woodson. Woodson led the SEC’s top-ranked passing attack by averaging a league high 268 yards per game. The Wildcats are making their second postseason appearance in Nashville. They also participated in the 1999 Bowl.

"Our players, coaches and fans are thrilled to be going to the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl Presented By Bridgestone," said Mitch Barnhart, University of Kentucky director of athletics. "Nashville is such a great city, and our fans have shown time and time again how much they enjoy visiting there. I'm so happy that all of the hard work and effort put forth by our football team is being rewarded appropriately. It is going to be a great match-up, and I'm sure the Big Blue Nation will descend upon Nashville in force to support the Wildcats."

Colin Reed, chairman, president, and chief executive office of Gaylord Entertainment Company, is pleased with the decision.

"We're excited and look forward to hosting Clemson and Kentucky as representatives of the ACC and SEC during this year's Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl Presented By Bridgestone,” said Reed. “The new ACC vs. SEC match-up is a great direction for this Bowl game and the fan bases of these two teams will definitely impact Music City's tourism industry during New Year's weekend."

Bridgestone officials agree.

The match-up between Clemson and Kentucky should be exciting for college football fans and great for our city," said Mark A. Emkes, chairman and CEO of Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. and Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC. Added Emkes, "We are thrilled to serve as a host for these great programs from the ACC and SEC and are extremely proud to be the presenting sponsor of this incredible community event."

Ticket prices for the Bowl begin at $15 for upper level, $50 for lower level and $70 for club level. Tickets can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 615-255-9600 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com. The Bowl enters its ninth year and matches teams from the ACC and the SEC. Since its inception, the Bowl has produced a $95 million regional economic impact, more than 39 million television viewers and more than $14 million in contributions to the participating universities through the Bowl’s payout.

About the Bowl

The Gaylord Music City Bowl Presented By Bridgestone (501 c-3 not-for-profit) is an annual postseason collegiate bowl featuring the Southeastern and Atlantic Coast Conferences. This year’s game will be played on Friday, Dec. 29, 2006 at 12 p.m. CST at LP Field. Televised nationally to millions of viewers on ESPN, the Bowl is Nashville’s Holiday Tradition. For more information, call the Bowl office at 615-743-3130 or visit the Bowl online at MusicCityBowl.com.