Maryland is frustrated by fall to Military Bowl against ECU at RFK
In a major statement about their lack of drawing power, the Maryland Terrapins accepted an invitation to play in the Military Bowl. The Terps (8-4) will face East Carolina (6-6), the fourth-place team in Conference USA, on Dec. 29 at RFK Stadium.
After finishing with the third-best record in the ACC, Maryland was passed over by five other bowls with higher payouts. N.C. State (8-4), which the Terps beat eight days ago, will play West Virginia in the Champs Sports Bowl, which had the third choice of ACC teams.
“If we’re disappointed, we’re disappointed in the process,” Maryland athletic director Kevin Anderson said. “We’re disappointed in the way things were determined.”
Four ACC teams that had worse records than Maryland will play in more lucrative games. North Carolina (7-5) will face Tennessee in the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn. Miami (7-5) will play Notre Dame in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. Clemson (6-6) meets South Florida in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, N.C. Georgia Tech (6-6) will play Air Force in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La.
Boston College (7-5) goes to a less lucrative bowl, the Fight Hunger Bowl, but against a more formidable opponent, Nevada (12-1), and in a more inviting site, San Francisco.
“We finished third, and things don’t end up that way,” Anderson said. “I think in our next [ACC] meeting I would like to get a better understanding of how everything takes place.”
