bgorman@heraldsun.com; 419-6668
CHAPEL HILL -- The North Carolina football team is headed to the Meineke Car Care Bowl -- again.
For the second consecutive season and for the third time in the past five years, the Tar Heels will play their postseason game in Charlotte. UNC will face No. 17 Pittsburgh on Dec. 26 at Bank of America Stadium at 4:30 p.m. (ESPN).
"Our program is excited for the opportunity to play in back-to-back bowl games and make a return trip to Charlotte," said UNC coach Butch Davis in a statement released by the school. "Our players are excited to continue their season and play so close to home. We had tremendous fan support at the game in 2008 and we will need that again this year against an outstanding Pittsburgh team."
The Tar Heels are making back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time since making seven straight from 1992-98. UNC finished the regular season 8-4 overall, including 4-4 in the ACC after starting 0-3 in the league.
A week ago, it looked like UNC was going to the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn., after losing to N.C. State in the final game of the regular season.
Then longtime Florida State coach Bobby Bowden retired.
The Gator Bowl opted to take a 6-6 Florida State team ahead of other ACC schools with better records to have Bowden's last game, which created a domino effect in the conference. FSU will play No. 18 West Virginia.
ACC runner-up Clemson fell to the Music City Bowl against Kentucky -- the lowest possible bowl the league runner-up could fall to -- and No. 14 Miami and Boston College, who both had better records than the Seminoles, also went to lower bowls. The Hurricanes will play Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl and the Eagles will play Southern California in the Emerald Bowl. No. 12 Virginia Tech and Tennessee will meet in the Chick-fil-A bowl "We are very happy to welcome the University of North Carolina back to the 2009 Meineke Car Care Bowl," said Executive Director Will Webb in a statement. "The Tar Heels have proven to be a very tough and determined team this season, and we feel that the matchup of North Carolina against Pittsburgh will be a very exciting and competitive game."
Pittsburgh finished tied for second in the Big East with a 9-3 overall record, including 5-2 in the conference. The Panthers were ranked as high as No. 8 this season and their two conference losses were to West Virginia and then-No. 5 Cincinnati by a combined four points. Pittsburgh's third loss was to N.C. State.
"Our program is excited to play another football game and have the opportunity to potentially earn a 10th victory," Pittsburgh coach Dave Wannstedt said in a statement.
