CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina’s bowling facilities are huge.
The tar heels could potentially land anywhere from the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, to the Pinstripe Bowl in New York or the Fenway Bowl in Boston, and beyond if the bowling duties are set on the Sunday after the College Football Playoff- Field was announced at noon. Daytime and postseason dominoes are used.
Much closer to home, the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte could also be the destination, where a match against an opponent from the Southeastern Conference could be a preferred situation.
After North Carolina (6-6) suffered an epic breakdown and stunned rival North Carolina State last week at the end of the regular season, he knows it has been excluded from the top row of bowls in the Atlantic Coast Conference lineup became – the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, the Cheez-It Bowl in Orlando, Florida, and the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida.
Pittsburgh (10-2) and Wake Forest (10-2) will face each other in the ACC championship game on Saturday night, with the winner guaranteed a seat at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta or the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, league title game along with NC State (9-3) and Clemson (9-3) sorted into the Holiday Bowl, Cheez-It Bowl, and Gator Bowl and played in those games.
‘It was time’: UNC is enjoying the moment against Michigan, riding to burst in the second half-wave
Supersize inside: UNC vs. Michigan face former AAU teammates Armando Bacot and Hunter Dickinson in the fight down
‘I love his fire’: Upon arrival in Michigan, did the UNC find a new transfer leader for Brady Manek?
North Carolina coach Mack Brown said “someone is going to get a good bowl team” while referring to his tar heels during the shocked post-game scene that followed their dramatic loss to NC State in the regular season finale followed.
Miami (7-5), Louisville (6-6), Virginia (6-6), Virginia Tech (6-6), and Boston College (6-6) are the other ACC teams that qualify for the Bowl.
The Pinstripe Bowl, Duke’s Mayo Bowl, and Sun Bowl form the second tier of the ACC Bowl line-up, while the Military Bowl in Annapolis, Maryland, and the Fenway Bowl form the third tier. The ACC also has access to the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, Florida, the Birmingham Bowl, and the First Responder Bowl in Dallas.
From comeback to epic collapse: UNC football takeout at a shocking loss to rivals NC State
‘Put the cherry on top’: What to watch out for as UNC can play a spoiler role against the rival NC state
Sam Howell at full strength? UNC star QB does rehab work before the rivalry game in NC State
Big Four and more: Ready to Read More About ACC and College Sports? Subscribe to our “Big Four and More” newsletter, which will be sent to you directly by email
Most of the projections place in the North Carolina Pinstripe Bowl (against a Big Ten opponent like Penn State or Maryland), or the Duke’s Mayo Bowl (against an SEC team like Auburn or South Carolina), or the Sun Bowl (against a Pac-12 opponent like Arizona State or Washington State).
The Tar Heels have played four times in Charlotte’s Bowl game – now called Duke’s Mayo Bowl, formerly known as Continental Tire, Meineke Car Care and Belk Bowls – with their last visit there in December 2013, a win against Cincinnati.
However, other goals are abundantly possible. For example, Jerry Palm of CBS Sports projects North Carolina for the Gasparilla Bowlwhere the tar heels could face opponents like Central Florida from the American Athletic Conference or Western Kentucky from the Conference USA.
ACC bowl setup
23rd of December Gasparilla Bowl (Tampa, Florida)
December 27th Military Bowl (Annapolis, Maryland)
December 28th Birmingham Bowl (Birmingham, Alabama)
December 28th First Responder Bowl (Dallas)
December 28th Holiday Bowl (San Diego)
December 29th Fenway Bowl (Boston)
December 29th Pinstripe cup (New York)
December 29th Cheez-It Bowl (Orlando, Florida)
30th of December Duke’s Mayo Bowl (Charlotte)
30th of December Peach peel (Atlanta)
December 31 Sun Bowl (El Paso, Texas)
December 31 Gator Bowl (Jacksonville, Florida)
January 1st Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Arizona)
Note: the ACC champion is guaranteed a place in the Peach Bowl or Fiesta Bowl
Adam Smith is a sports reporter for the Burlington Times-News and the USA TODAY Network. You can reach him by email at asmith@thetimesnews.com or @adam_smithTN on Twitter.
Take advantage of our 6 month sale for $ 1 on digital subscriptions. For special offers, Click here.
