For the first time in the Bowl Championship Series era, a representative of the Mid-American Conference is headed to a BCS bowl game. After defeating Kent State in the MAC Championship on Friday night in a 44-37 double-overtime victory, the Northern Illinois Huskies (12-1) moved to No. 15 in the country and punched their ticket to the 77th annual Orange Bowl to face the 12th-ranked, Atlantic Coast Conference champion Florida State Seminoles (12-2). The Huskies are the first team from a non-automatic qualifying conference to play in the Orange Bowl as an at-large, and are set to face a tough FSU squad who will be making their 8th trip to the Orange Bowl, which includes three wins in 1993, 1994, and 1996.
This historic New Year’s Day bout is taking place at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Florida, which can fit in thunderous crowds of over 75,000 to witness this highly-entertaning BCS showdown. Make the wise decision and claim your 2013 Orange Bowl tickets as soon as possible, as this is always one of the premier bowl games of the year and NIU’s landmark appearance has brought the level of excitement up more than just a notch. Kickoff is set for Tuesday, January 1st at 8:30 PM ET, but be sure to get there early to enjoy some of the legendary tailgating at and around Sun Life Stadium.
