Nationally Ranked Panthers Receive Invitation to 2002 Insight Bowl
12/3/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nationally Ranked Panthers Receive Invitation to 2002 Insight Bowl
12/3/2002
The nationally ranked University of Pittsburgh Panthers football team accepted an invitation today to play in the 2002 Insight Bowl Dec. 26 in Phoenix, Ariz.
Head Coach Walt Harris and Athletic Director Steve Pederson accepted the invitation from Fiesta chairman Steve Horrell and president John Junker, who represented the Insight Bowl via phone at a press conference held this afternoon at the Panthers? Duratz Athletic Complex.
"Pittsburgh is an exciting football team with a tremendous amount of talent under the leadership of Coach Walt Harris," Horrell said. "The team will bring a new level of excitement to the Insight Bowl when matched against a Pac-10 team." "The nation is captivated by the talent and aggressive performance this Pittsburgh team has shown this year," Junker said. "The Insight Bowl is pleased to invite Pittsburgh athletic director Steve Pederson and head coach Walt Harris, along with the entire Pittsburgh staff back to the Valley of the Sun for what will be a fine match-up." ?This is a terrific day for the University of Pittsburgh and our football team,? Pederson said. ?Representing the Big East Conference in the Insight Bowl is an honor. I am very proud of this football team and how hard they have worked. Playing in a top bowl game against a Pac-10 opponent will be an exciting way to end this season. Our thanks go out to the members of the Insight and Fiesta Bowl Boards, particularly Steve Horrell and John Junker, for this gracious invitation to play in their game.? "We are tremendously excited and honored to represent the Big East Conference in this year's Insight Bowl," Harris said. "The Fiesta Bowl Committee is a first-class group of people who showed us great hospitality the last time we visited. A trip to the great city of Phoenix is a wonderful reward for our program." For the third consecutive year the Insight Bowl will be played at Phoenix?s Bank One Ballpark. The home of Major League Baseball?s Arizona Diamondbacks, Bank One Ballpark is reconfigured to make it football friendly for the fans. With seats added along the playing field, the venue?s special seating capacity is 42,915. Pittsburgh will face the No. 4 team out of the Pac-10 Conference. The opponent will be announced Sunday, Dec. 8. The Insight Bowl kicks off at 8 p.m. (EST) and will be nationally televised by ESPN. This will be Pittsburgh?s third consecutive postseason berth under Harris and its fourth in the last six years. It is the program?s best postseason run since going to nine straight bowls from 1975-83. Pittsburgh has made 21 prior bowl appearances, including four games in the state of Arizona. In addition to the 2000 Insight.com Bowl, the Panthers played in the Fiesta Bowl following the 1973, 1979 and 1983 seasons. Tickets for the Insight Bowl cost $52 and may be purchased by calling the Panthers? ticket office at (800) 643-PITT or (412) 648-PITT. Purchases can also be made via the Internet at www.pittsburghpanthers.com. University of Pittsburgh students can reserve a complimentary ticket beginning Wednesday, Dec. 4, at the Petersen Events Center. Pittsburgh completed its regular season with an 8-4 overall record and 5-2 Big East mark. The Panthers are ranked 24th in this week?s USA Today/ESPN poll and 25th by Associated Press.