now REALLY official...Memphis to St. Pete bowl.

[UofMemphis]

from the commercial appeal.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/dec/07/memphis-tigers-play-south-florida-dec-20-bowl-st-p/

Memphis Tigers to play South Florida in Dec. 20 bowl in St. Pete

By Phil Stukenborg

Originally published 04:40 p.m., December 7, 2008

Updated 04:40 p.m., December 7, 2008

Former Conference USA rivals Memphis and South Florida will reunite Dec. 20 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg to play not only one another, but for history.

The Tigers, members of C-USA, and the Bulls, now in the Big East, will meet in the inaugural magicJack St. Petersburg Bowl. Kickoff is set for 3:30 CST and the game will be shown by ESPN2.

An official announcement is expected this afternoon, according to sources familiar with the proceedings.

The Tigers, who finished 6-6, were extended an invitation Sunday, eight days after their 45-6 victory over Tulane made them bowl eligible. Memphis will be participating in the postseason for the fifth time in six seasons, an unprecedented streak for a program that hadn't gone to a bowl for 32 years before appearing in the 2003 New Orleans Bowl. It also will mark the U of M's first postseason game against a Bowl Championship Series Conference team.

South Florida, which bolted C-USA for the Big East in 2005, will be playing in a bowl for the fourth straight season, something only two other Big East programs (Rutgers and West Virginia) have done. The Bulls (7-5) ended their season Saturday with a 13-7 loss in snowy conditions at West Virginia, USF's fifth loss in seven games. USF, invited after the loss to West Virginia, opened the season with five straight wins and was ranked in the top 10 nationally.

Memphis's invitation had been widely expected since the team's season-finale win over the Green Wave, followed several days later by Southern Miss's New Orleans Bowl invite. St. Petersburg and New Orleans had been considered the likely destinations for the Tigers.

While pleased with their Florida assignment, the Tigers will be playing USF in what amounts to a home game for the Bulls. Tropicana Field, the 33,000-seat venue for the game, is 32 miles from the USF campus. Brett Dulaney, the bowl's executive director, is hoping the proximity will ensure a sellout. Each team is allotted 10,000 tickets, which accounts for nearly two-thirds of capacity at the stadium, home to the American League baseball champion Tampa Bay Rays.

[Bruce Blingstein]

I dont know much about Memphis, but I do know we are in trouble. 

[Costa]

I dont know much about Memphis, but I do know we are in trouble. 

If the USF team that has played this whole season shows up, yes, we are in trouble.

[Economics_Nerd82]

great, now a basketball school is going to beat us

[USFMikeB]

We're doomed?

[USF_Grouper]

A bit of perspective here.. WVU is not a bad team, and USF had every chance to beat them.  Playing on the road in the cold.  This is an easy win for us and I look forward to seeing as many Bulls fans as can make it.

We have issues, issues that must be addressed in the off-season.  But let's not loose perspective of how far we have come.

[Cow Pie]

I like this match up...

(1) IF the Bigeast ever figures out that it needs to expand then I think Memphis would be one of the teams picked to come over.

(2) Better then playing ECU... AGAIN.

At least we are not playing UCiF 

[Stier]

I dont know much about Memphis, but I do know we are in trouble. 

If the USF team that has played this whole season (minus the Kansas game)shows up, yes, we are in trouble.

If the team that beat Kansas shows up, we should beat them with no problem.

[Held_AccountaBull]

i see this as an easy win. even how bad we are, memphis went 6-6 in pathetic cusa

[theman123]

Are you guys serious?