The University of Houston has accepted an invitation to play in the 2012 TicketCity Bowl, school and bowl officials announced on Sunday afternoon.
The Cougars (12-1, 8-0 C-USA) will play the Penn State University Nittany Lions(9-3, 6-2 Big Ten) at the Cotton Bowl Stadium at 11 a.m. on January 2 in Dallas. The game will be televised on ESPNU.
“I know our team is excited about this matchup and really appreciate having a chance to play in front of our fans one more time,” Head Coach Kevin Sumlin said. “Our fans have been tremendous all season. We broke the attendance record at Robertson Stadium and to play against Penn State in a great venue such as the Cotton Bowl will bring back some special memories for our university.”
Houston is no stranger to playing January games at the Cotton Bowl. The Cougars won the 1976 and 1979 Cotton Bowls and also played in the 1978 and 1984 events. It will also mark Houston’s third all-time meeting with Penn State. The Nittany Lions are 2-0 vs. UH. Penn State won 24-7 at Rice Stadium on Nov. 14, 1964, and 31-14 in State College, Pa., on Sept. 17, 1977.
“I certainly want to thank Tom Starr and everyone at the TicketCity Bowl for this great opportunity,” Director of Athletics Mack Rhoades said. “This will be a first-class event for our student-athletes our coaching staff and our fans. To have an opportunity to send this senior class off with one more game in thestate of Texas, at a historic venue like the Cotton Bowl, is a great way tothank our fans for all they have meant to us during this record-breaking season.”
The Houston Athletics Ticket Office will begin taking orders for the 2012 TicketCity Bowl online later this evening. Fans are encouraged to order their tickets through UH Athletics as this directly benefits the Houston program. Houston has been allotted 10,000 tickets for this game at the $75 price level and the entire allotment will be located behind the Cougar bench. Due to the $75 pricing option, UH Athletics will once again have an option for fans to donate to allow Houston students to attend the game at a discounted price.
Orders will be taken immediately and seating allocation begins after Dec. 12. Seatlocations will be based on the Cougar Pride priority points system. Fans can also order in person at the Athletics Alumni Center and by phone at 713-GO-COOGSstarting at 8 a.m. CT on Monday.
Houston Athletics is also working on special student ticketing and travel options for the Jan. 2 contest. More information will be available later in the week.
Houston is making its 20th appearance in a bowl game and third under Kevin Sumlin. The Cougars faced Air Force in the 2008 and 2009 Armed Forces Bowl,winning 34-28 in 2008. Current Cougar Bryce Beall was the MVP of that 2008 victory.
For more information about the 2012 TicketCity Bowl, please visit their website at ticketcitybowl.com.
For more details about the University of Houston Cougar football team, contact Dave Reiter at 281-254-9582.