Tennessee accepts bid to play Iowa in Taxslayer Bowl in Jacksonville

photo Vandy's head coach Derek Mason, right, congratulates UT's head coach Butch Jones and tells him to represent the state of Tennessee well in his bowl game after the Volunteers won over the Commodores with a final sore of 24-17.
photo Vols T logo

KNOXVILLE - Tennessee will ring in 2015 in a warm-weather location.

The Volunteers accepted a bid to play Iowa in the Taxslayer Bowl, formerly known as the Gator Bowl, on Sunday evening after a whirlwind afternoon of speculation.

The Taxslayer Bowl is held at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Fla. The game is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 2, at 3:20 p.m. on ESPN.

Tennessee is in a bowl game for the first time since 2010 after going 6-6 this season, and the Vols last played in a January bowl game seven years ago, when they beat Wisconsin 21-17 in the Outback Bowl to cap the 2007 season.

"The opportunity to play in the TaxSlayer Bowl represents a tremendous opportunity for our football program," second-year Tennessee coach Butch Jones said in a program release. "The chance to return to a New Year's bowl game in Florida represents another significant step for our program, and we are excited to play against a quality opponent in Iowa. We are looking forward to the game, and I am sure that Vol Nation will be well-represented in Jacksonville on January 2."

At different points on Sunday, it appeared Tennessee was heading to any one of four different games, but the official announcement revealed the Vols would play in the game for the sixth time.

The SEC's new bowl process featured the conference office slotting six games, which meant plenty of mystery and jockeying for spots between bowls and programs.

"Playing in a New Year's bowl game is a tremendous reward for our coaching staff, players, alumni and fans," Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart said in a Tennessee release. "I am especially pleased for our seniors. We are honored and appreciative to be invited to such a historic bowl venue."

Tennessee is 3-2 in the Gator Bowl with wins in 1957 (3-0 vs. Texas A&M), 1966 (18-12 vs. Syracuse) and 1994 (45-23 vs. Virginia Tech) and losses in 1969 (13-14 vs. Florida) and 1973 (19-28 vs. Texas Tech).

It'll be the Vols' third all-time meeting with Iowa. The Hawkeyes beat Tennessee 28-22 in the 1982 Peach Bowl, with the Vols winning 23-22 in the 1987 Kickoff Classic in East Rutherford, N.J.

Iowa went 7-5 and finished fourth in the Big Ten Conference's West Division. The Hawkeyes' best wins were against Pittsburgh and Illinois. Iowa also lost to Iowa State, Maryland, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Nebraska, but only one of those defeats were by more than seven points.

It is Tennessee's 50th bowl appearance, which ties them for fourth with Georgia and Southern California.

The Vols have 12 Florida natives, including leading receiver Pig Howard, sack leader Curt Maggitt, starting defensive tackle Jordan Williams and starting guard Marcus Jackson, on their roster.

The Taxslayer Bowl payout for each team is $2.75 million, which is much higher than the sum available at some of Tennessee's other potential destinations.

Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.

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