Message received as Tigers set to head to Charlotte

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CLEMSON – Message received.

TigerNet learned earlier this week that the Meineke Car Care Bowl, based in Charlotte and played on December 31st at noon, was interested in inviting Clemson to the bowl game, and that Clemson officials would be excited at the prospect of a matchup against a team from the Big East.

TigerNet did its part in listing the numbers and email addresses of the bowl officials so that Clemson fans could let them know of their interest, and that message has been received loud and clear.

“I would say that we got over a thousand messages in a short period of time supporting Clemson coming to the Meineke Car Care Bowl,” said Ken Haines, the CEO of Raycom Sports. “That is a rough estimate, but it was a lot. We have gotten the message loud and clear.”

Raycom founded the bowl game, and it is now run in conjunction with the ACC Championship Game by a non-profit entity in Charlotte. However, all operational aspects of the game are still housed at Raycom.

“We are very fond of Clemson, which is close to Charlotte,” Haines said. “Charlotte is a great bowl trip.”

Several sites have reported that the Clemson-to-Charlotte deal is done, but Haines said not quite.

“I don’t think that is true at all,” he said. “It is not done, because there is still a lot of juggling to do. But I do think it is a good possibility. Clemson has so many fans in the Charlotte area, and they are close by, and they have a rabid fan base that travels well.”

The 2010 Meineke Car Care Bowl features a matchup of the #2 selection from the Big East Conference against the #4 pick from the Atlantic Coast Conference. The payout is $1.6 million per school.

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