Clemson University and Texas Tech have accepted invitations from the Florida Citrus Sports Bowl Selection Committee to be the ACC and Big 12 participants in this year’s Mazda Tangerine Bowl.  

Members of the Florida Citrus Sports Bowl Selection Committee voted Sunday to invite the Texas Tech Red Raiders (8-5) to the 2002 Mazda Tangerine Bowl in Orlando to face the Clemson Tigers (7-5). The game will kickoff at 5:30 p.m. (EST) on Monday, December 23 and will be televised by ESPN.

"Texas Tech had a great season with a huge win over Texas late in the year," Selection Committee Chairman Bill Dymond said. "The Red Raiders have a high-powered offense that will be exciting to watch in the Mazda Tangerine Bowl."

The Red Raiders will be representing the Big 12 Conference in the first year of the league's four-year partnership with the Bowl. The Mazda Tangerine Bowl is also the conference's first tie-in with a bowl game in the state of Florida.

"Football fans in Central Florida should be very excited to see Texas Tech's offense with quarterback Kliff Kingsbury," FCS President Jane Hames said.

"We're looking forward to a great game between Tech and Clemson."

This will be Texas Tech's second visit to Orlando to participate in a bowl game. The Red Raiders played in the original Tangerine Bowl, now the Capital One Bowl, in 1977. Texas Tech fell to Florida State, 40-17, in front of a then-record crowd of 44,502. The two teams combined for more than 900 yards of total offense in the game.

Clemson will represent the ACC after finishing the regular season with a conference record of 4-4 and an overall mark of 7-5. The Tigers finished with wins in three of their last four contests, including a season-ending win over rival South Carolina.

"I think the entire Central Florida area will be excited to have the Clemson Tigers as our guests for the Mazda Tangerine Bowl," Florida Citrus Sports President Jane Hames said. "We look forward to an enjoyable week of activities with the Clemson fans, and I bet they come early and stay late."

The Tigers have never appeared in the Mazda Tangerine Bowl, but have played three times in Orlando, with visits to the Florida Citrus Bowl in 1988, 1989 and 1992.

The Mazda Tangerine Bowl will be the first meeting between Texas Tech and Clemson.

The Orlando Regional Chamber’s Chamber Trustees, in partnership with Florida Citrus Sports, will be hosting a luncheon on Friday, December 20, 2002, to welcome these two teams, their coaches and players to this year’s bowl game.

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