Troy to face Duke in Birmingham Bowl
Sun Belt champion Troy has landed the premier bowl selection from the league as the Trojans are headed to the Birmingham Bowl to play Duke.
There were erroneous reports from some media outlets that Troy would play Georgia Tech. That is not correct.
Troy becomes the first-ever Sun Belt program to play a bowl game against a team from a Power Five conference and just the second to play in the Birmingham Bowl.
“A bowl game is a reward for our players, our fans and our staff for an amazing season,” head coach Jon Sumrall said.
“This will be a fantastic opportunity for our program to show on a national stage the level of football played in the Sun Belt Conference against an opponent from the ACC. Make no mistake, we’re going to Birmingham to win a football game, but we’re also going to ensure that our players have a great experience and are rewarded for their championship season.”
Troy enters bowl season having won 10 straight games for a second straight season after defeating App State, 49-23, in the Sun Belt Championship Game on Saturday; its Sun Belt record eighth conference title. The Birmingham Bowl marks Troy’s 10th overall bowl game, and the Trojans have won five straight bowl games dating back to the 2010 New Orleans Bowl, the second-longest active bowl winning streak in the country.
“The back-to-back Sun Belt Champions are headed to the premier Sun Belt Conference bowl game for a second straight season,” Athletics Director Brent Jones said. “There are very few bowls matching up a Group of Five school against a Power Five opponent, and for Troy to secure one of those coveted matchups shows the strength of the Troy Football brand and the elite status of the Sun Belt Conference. The Birmingham Bowl will be an amazing experience for our student-athletes and fans to celebrate another Sun Belt Championship.”
Duke (7-5, 4-4 ACC) had victories over Clemson and NC State this season. The Blue Devils head coach Mike Elko has left the program to lead Texas A&M after the firing of Jimbo Fisher.
The game is at 11AM at Protective Stadium on December 23 on ABC 32.
