In a move that will surprise very few, the SEC officially announced that it has added a record 10th bowl tie-in by agreeing to send its No. 9 selection to the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., to take on the ACC’s No. 6 team.
The Independence Bowl will be on 1 p.m. Dec. 28 on ESPNU.
“We are obviously thrilled to be back in the game with the SEC,” said 2012 AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl chairman Jack Andres. “We enjoyed 15 years of success with them from 1995-2009, and we’ve hosted 10 of their teams in our game, including newcomers Texas A&M and most recently Missouri. Our local ticket buyers and sponsors are familiar with the teams in the SEC and we hope this will generate even more local support for our game.”
SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said last Friday in Destin that the league was looking to add another bowl tie-in to give one more opportunity now that the league has expanded to 14 teams. Both Missouri and Texas A&M were bowl teams last year.
The SEC is 13-3 all-time in the Independence Bowl.
“With the addition of Missouri and Texas A&M, we were looking to expand our bowl lineup and we are pleased to have the Independence Bowl back in our schedule,” said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. “The Independence Bowl gives us a tie-in with the ACC, which will provide exciting competition in this high profile game.”