Meineke News

Charlotte, N.C. – Wake Forest University has accepted a bid to play in the 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl, it was announced today by bowl officials. The Demon Deacons, tied for second place in the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season, will face the Connecticut Huskies, the co-champions of the Big East Conference.

The 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl will take place on Saturday, December 29, at 1 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN. The game is played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

“We are extremely pleased to invite Wake Forest University to the 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl,” said executive director Will Webb. “We have a tremendous matchup between first and second place teams from two strong conferences. The Demon Deacons have proven to be great competitors and we are very excited to bring them to Charlotte against the Connecticut Huskies. Wake Forest will be playing in a bowl game in consecutive years for the first time in school history. This will give their fans the opportunity to send a strong message for future bowl consideration. This year’s game should be a very competitive one that will provide entertainment for fans in Charlotte and those watching at home.”

Wake Forest finished the regular season 8-4 overall and 5-3 in the ACC. The Demon Deacons ended the season winning eight of the last ten games. Head Coach Jim Grobe, the 2006 AFCA Coach of the Year, has led Wake Forest to 19 wins and an ACC title in the last two years, including a berth in the Fedex Orange Bowl last season.

The Meineke Car Care Bowl has averaged nearly 63,000 fans each year and has sold out two of its five years. In addition, the game has reached over 6.5 million television households. In 2003, it was named one of the five-best start-ups in sports over the past five years by the Sports Business Journal, behind only the NFL Houston Texans and ESPN the Magazine.

The inaugural game, played on December 28, 2002 before a sold-out stadium, saw Virginia defeat West Virginia, 48-22. In 2003, Virginia once again claimed victory, this time over Pittsburgh, 23-16. The third year again produced a sellout, as Boston College defeated North Carolina, 37-24. In 2005, NC State defeat South Florida, 14-0. And last year Boston College edged Navy 25-24 on a field goal as time expired.