UNC to play in Tire Bowl

North Carolina coach John Bunting probably would have immediately summoned his team from all corners of the campus to announce that it had received a bowl invitation.

But Tuesday night, there was just one problem - almost the entire team had vacated the campus for Thanksgiving Break, preventing Bunting from breaking the news to his players.

That did not dampen his spirit, however, as he accepted an invitation to participate in the Continental Tire Bowl in Charlotte.

"Boy, I tell you what, what a great 72 hours this has been," Bunting said. "To not only finish off our season the way that we did, to have a winning season for these seniors and know that we're bowl eligible - and then be able to play the game right here in our home state."

The bowl will be played at Bank of America Stadium, home of the NFL's Carolina Panthers, at 1 p.m. Dec. 30.

The post-season appearance will be the first for the Tar Heels since the 2001 Peach Bowl, and the University will receive a $750,000 payout and 12,500 tickets to sell for the game.

UNC does not yet know who it will be facing, though. The Tire Bowl is tied into the Big East - and Boston College, West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Connecticut have already clinched postseason eligibility from the conference.

Notre Dame, an independent, could also be selected, but bowl executive director Will Webb said Connecticut looks like the most likely opponent at this point. He said he expects a decision to be announced Sunday.

"There are a lot of scenarios in the Big East that could still send any number of teams to us," bowl committee member George Johnson said Saturday.

The Tire Bowl's choice to pick UNC was made easier Monday when Clemson withdrew from bowl consideration as a result of a fight in its game against South Carolina.

Before the self-imposed penalty, the Tire Bowl had narrowed its options to UNC and Clemson.

"Ultimately we didn't have to make that decision, and I'm glad we didn't," Webb said. "I'm not sure which way we would have gone."

Instead, the bowl selection committee easily chose North Carolina with Georgia Tech its only other candidate.

"We gave Tech fair consideration," Webb said. "Ultimately, Carolina was the overwhelming favorite."

The Tire Bowl, inaugurated in 2002, has hosted Virginia as its ACC representative the previous two years. The Cavaliers have won the bowl both times, defeating West Virginia in 2002 and Pittsburgh last season.

But this year, the bowl leapt at the opportunity to select a team with a large fan base in the Charlotte area.

"They're in our back yard," Webb said. "They had a great season, particularly the second half of the season. A lot of players showed a lot of character, a lot of resolve."

Now, with the bid assured, Bunting said the team will resume practice Dec. 3 and potentially head down to Charlotte on Christmas night.

"I think this is a terrific way to end it for this senior group that I think a lot of people want to show some appreciation for," Bunting said.

"It's right before New Year's Eve, so I think it's perfect timing. And it's a perfect place to play."

And for a team that knew it needed to win three of its last four games to end up in this position, accomplishing that feat makes the end result feel pretty special.

"I think a lot of players came together and did that and finally realized what we were here for and what we were capable of doing," said senior Jonas Seawright. "And we're pretty happy right now."

Bunting quickly added, "That's for sure."

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.