NASHVILLE, Tenn., (Dec. 5, 2010) – Representatives of the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl announced today the University of North Carolina will represent the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in the 13^th annual Bowl as they take on the Southeastern Conference’s (SEC) University of Tennessee. 

Kickoff will be Thursday, Dec. 30 at 5:30 p.m. CST at LP Field in Nashville. The game will be televised live on ESPN.

“The Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl is thrilled to host the student-athletes, administrators and fans from the University of North Carolina and the University of Tennessee,” said Christine Karbowiak, Bowl chair. “Music City is a great destination and we’re confident that the teams and the fans will enjoy the wonderful hospitality for which Nashville is famous. We’re looking forward to an exciting schedule of BOWL Week special events and activities, capped by a great game on the field.

“Over the past few years we have enjoyed our partnership with the Music City Bowl and we are excited to be the title sponsor of this year’s event. We look forward to our expanded role with such an outstanding Bowl game,” said Dan Crockett, president and CEO of Franklin American Mortgage Company. “With these two fine universities representing the ACC and the SEC, we are thankful for such a superb matchup here in our Bowl game. The Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl is Nashville’s Holiday Tradition and represents an excellent opportunity to showcase our company and our city to a national audience.”

The University of North Carolina is participating in its third consecutive Bowl and making its first Bowl appearance in Nashville, led by a defense that finished fourth in the ACC in total defense and fifth in passing defense.

The Tar Heels also finished third in the ACC in passing offense at 267 passing yards per game.

Seven UNC players were named to All-ACC teams, including defensive tackle Quinton Coples, who earned first-team honors, while offensive guard Jonathan Cooper and linebacker Bruce Carter were named to the second team. Wide receiver Dwight Jones, tailback Johnny White, place-kicker Casey Barth and quarterback T.J. Yates were named honorable mention.

“I’m excited our program has an opportunity to play Tennessee in the 2010 Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl in Nashville,” said UNC Athletic Director Dick Baddour. “I congratulate our student-athletes and coaching staff for their hard work, determination and perseverance this season. Our fans have been tremendous this year, setting a school record for average attendance (58,250).  This bowl game is another fantastic opportunity to support this Tar Heel team and recognize the accomplishments of an outstanding senior class.”

In his first year at Tennessee, Coach Derek Dooley has led the Volunteers to a 6-6 record and their 49^th bowl appearance overall, tied for third in NCAA history.

The Volunteers finished the season strong with a 4-0 mark in November, ranking fourth in the SEC in passing offense and tied for second in total interceptions.

Senior linebacker Nick Reveiz and sophomore defensive back Prentiss Waggner led the UT defense under the watch of former Boise State defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox. Freshman quarterback Tyler Bray stepped in midway through the season, helping the Vols finish third in the SEC with more than 249 passing yards per game and earning himself SEC Freshman of the Week honors three out of the last four regular season weeks.

“I’m proud of our football team and how they finished the season, and playing in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl is a tremendous reward for our team, staff and fans,” said Tennessee Director of Athletics Mike Hamilton. “We’re excited about the trip to Nashville and about playing in LP Field in a stadium filled with orange. We also look forward to working with a longtime friend in Scott Ramsey and his great staff at the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl.”

The 2010 game will mark the fifth consecutive Bowl matchup between the ACC and SEC in Nashville. 

SEC teams won the 2006 – 2008 Bowl games and the ACC’s Clemson University won the Bowl game in 2009 by defeating the University of Kentucky, 21-13.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors and the staff of the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, we look forward to a great 2010 Bowl game, with two incredible universities in North Carolina and Tennessee, our new title sponsor Franklin American Mortgage Company and an outstanding platform for Nashville in our Thursday night time slot on ESPN,” said Scott Ramsey, president and CEO, Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl.

Established in 1998, the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl has transformed the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day into one of the city’s busiest times of the year for tourism.

Since its inception, the Bowl has produced $165 million in direct economic impact to Nashville. 

Bowl tickets are available for purchase through Ticketmaster online at Ticketmaster.com/musiccitybowl or at any Ticketmaster location.

For more information, call the Bowl office at 615.743.3130 or visit the Bowl online at MusicCityBowl.com. 

Special Note to Fans:

For fans attending the game, please visit MusicCityBowl.com to purchase game day parking.  Several parking options are available, but for those wishing to park in a stadium parking lot at LP Field, passes must be pre-purchased.

No parking passes at LP Field will be available to purchase on game day.

About the Bowl:

The Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl (501(c)(3) nonprofit organization) is an annual post-season collegiate Bowl featuring the Atlantic Coast and Southeastern Conferences.  Since its inception, the Bowl has produced more than $165 million in economic impact. 

Televised nationally to millions of viewers and listeners on ESPN and Nevada Sports Radio Network, the Bowl is Nashville’s Holiday Tradition.  For more information, call the Bowl office at 615.743.3130 or visit the Bowl online at MusicCityBowl.com. 

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