University of Tennessee Athletics
VOLS ACCEPT OUTBACK BOWL BID AGAINST PENN STATE
December 03, 2006 | Football
Dec. 3, 2006
Outback Bowl Officials Jim McVay & Steve Schember and UT AD Mike Hamilton | Coach Fulmer
Tampa, Fla. - Tennessee accepted an invitation Sunday to play Penn State in the Outback Bowl on New Year's Day in a matchup of teams tied for third all-time with 24 bowl victories.
"We are thrilled to have Coach Fulmer and the Volunteers as the SEC representative in our game," stated Jim McVay, Outback Bowl President/CEO. "This is going to be an outstanding matchup with two terrific teams, some of the top players in the country, and two of the most successful coaches in the game."
Tennessee's trip to Tampa marks the Vols' second appearance in the Outback Bowl and 46th bowl invitation, a figure that ranks second all-time. The Vols defeated Boston College 38-23 in the January 1993 Outback Bowl. That game was Phillip Fulmer's first official contest as head coach of the Volunteers.
"We're very excited to be back in the Outback Bowl," said Fulmer, who has coached the Vols to a 7-6 record in bowl games. "We're honored to be playing a team like Penn State and Coach (Joe) Paterno. Like so many coaches, I've looked up to him for years. He's always had well-prepared, tough and athletic football teams and I'm sure this one is no different."
The Outback Bowl is celebrating its 21st year and kicks off at 11 a.m. Eastern time on Jan 1 in Raymond James Stadium. The game is telecast internationally on ESPN.
"I think this matches two of the tradition-rich programs in all of America," UT athletics director Mike Hamilton said. "When you think about Penn State and Tennessee, you think about excellence in fans, coaches and certainly football tradition. The opportunity to return to Tampa and be back where Coach Fulmer got his first bowl victory is significant for us."
Tennessee, 9-3, and Penn State, 8-4, combined for seven losses this season -- all to teams ranked in the top 12 of Sunday's Associated Press poll. The Vols lost to Florida, LSU and Arkansas, while Penn State was beaten by Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Notre Dame.
"Tennessee is a great opponent for us," stated Nittany Lions head coach Joe Paterno, who is in his 41st season as head coach and has an overall mark of 362-121-3 (.748). "They have a great football tradition and a very good team again this year. They played well in a tough league. It's going to be a challenging game for us."
Fulmer enters the game with a 137-40 (.774) coaching record in his 15th season.
Penn State owns a two-game bowl winning streak against the Vols, with wins in the 1992 Fiesta Bowl (42-17) and 1994 Florida Citrus Bowl (31-13). Tennessee won twice in the series in the 1970s, taking a 31-11 victory in 1971 and a 28-21 win the following season. Both regular season games were played in Knoxville.
"This is a great matchup," noted Outback Bowl Chairman Steve Schember. "The fans are going to love seeing these two fantastic teams square off while having a wonderful time in the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater area."
Tickets to the Outback Bowl are $60 each and are available through the Tennessee ticket office www.utsports.com. Information on the Outback Bowl game, bowl events, area hotels and the Tampa area can be found on the bowl's web site at www.outbackbowl.com.
Tennesee's Alumni Association Putting Together Bowl Travel Packages
Alumni, friends and fans of the University of Tennessee are invited to travel with the UT National Alumni Association to the Vols' bowl game.
Anyone interested in becoming a "Traveling Vol" can access the information by visiting the UT National Alumni Association web site at www.utalumni.utk.edu/bott.
The bowl package offered by All Seasons Travel (www.allseasonstravel.com) and World Travel Service (www.worldtrav.com) is the official bowl travel package of the UT National Alumni Association.
On Monday, phone lines will be open at each office to answer questions.
UT National Alumni Association: 865-974-3011 (8 a.m.-5 p.m. ET)
All Seasons Travel: 1-800-289-9990 (9 a.m.-5 p.m. ET)
World Travel Service: 865-777-1600 (8 a.m.-6 p.m. ET)
