CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati football team will face the University of North Carolina from the Atlantic Coast Conference in the 2013 Belk Bowl on Dec. 28, 2013 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
The game will kickoff at 3:20 p.m. ET and air on ESPN.
UC will make its second straight appearance in the Belk Bowl. The Bearcats (9-3) defeated Duke in a 48-34 thriller in Charlotte in 2012. Multi-Grammy nominee and CMA Entertainer of the Year Blake Shelton will be the featured act at the 2013 Belk Bowl FanFest, taking place outside the stadium before the game. The Belk Bowl FanFest is free to the public and will begin at 11:00 a.m., with Shelton scheduled to begin his performance at 1:30 p.m.
The Bearcats (9-3) and Tar Heels (6-6) have met twice on the gridiron with UNC holding a 2-0 edge in the series. The teams first met on Oct. 6, 1979 with the Bearcats dropping a 35-14 road decision to No. 18 UNC and last met on Sept. 14, 1991, a 51-16 Tar Heels win in Chapel Hill.
UC closed out the regular season with a 9-3 record, and a 6-2 mark in American Athletic Conference play in Head Coach Tommy Tuberville's first season at Cincinnati. UC was ranked in the Top-10 nationally in rushing defense, and total defense while finishing in the Top-15 in scoring defense, led by senior LB Greg Blair, who finished the regular season four stops shy of his second straight 100 tackle campaign.
The Bearcats averaged 33.3 points and 482.3 total yards per game on offense and had one of the top passing attacks in the league, led by senior QB Brendon Kay who became only the fourth UC player to throw for 3,000 or more yards in a season (3,121).
For the Tar Heels, Larry Fedora is in his second season as head coach and holds a 14-10 mark at the school and a six-year career record of 48-29. UNC recovered from a 1-5 start this season and rattled off five straight wins to earn bowl eligibility. In a pair of conference losses against ranked teams, No. 10 Miami (Fla.) and No. 24 Duke, the Tar Heels fell by a combined six points.
QB Marquise Williams directs the offensive attack. He leads the team in rushing, averaging 4.8 yards per carry with six TDs while finishing 107-of-184 for 1,527 yards, six interceptions and 14 TDs. TE Eric Ebron has 55 receptions for an ACC single-season record 895 yards and three TDs while WR Quinshad Davis leads the Tar Heels with 10 TDs, catching 47 balls for 724 yards.
PR Ryan Switzer is No. 3 in the NCAA FBS, averaging 19.9 yards per punt return. He has taken four returns back for touchdowns and has totaled 21 returns for 419 yards.
The defense is led by Tre Boston and Jeff Schoettmer who have 85 and 84 tackles, respectively. Boston leads the team with four interceptions and 12 passes defended. Kareem Martin finished the regular season with a team high 20 tackles for a loss and 11 sacks. Norkeithus Otis had 6.5 sacks and 11 tackles for a loss.
TICKETS
Tickets are on sale now at CATSTIX.com, start at $50 and are available at four pricing levels: club seats ($100), lower sideline ($85), lower endzone ($75) and upper level ($50). All handling and shipping fees are included.
UCATS members and football season ticket holders can purchase club seats for $100, lower sideline seats at $70, lower endzone sections at $60 and upper level tickets at $50. In order to access the discount patrons must log in to their account at CATSTIX.com and then click buy tickets.
Tickets are available for purchase by all fans, including UCATS members, students and the general public. Seating assignments will be determined by UCATS tier level and then priority points within the tier level. Fans are strongly encouraged to order tickets online to avoid long wait times on the phone or in person at the Athletics Ticket Office.
All individuals who buy or donate tickets through UC will receive two (2) tickets to a future American Athletic Conference men's basketball game.
HOW TO BUY
Fans can visit CATSTIX.com immediately to purchase tickets.
The customer service call center will be open from 8-5 p.m., starting Monday, Dec. 9. Fans that do not purchase online can call 1-877-CATS-TIX or visit the Athletics Ticket Office on the fourth floor of the Richard E. Lindner Center in Varsity Village.
DEADLINES
The priority deadline for ordering bowl tickets will be 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013. The bowl ticket allocation process will begin following the deadline. Tickets may be ordered after the deadline, but patrons may be at risk of being allocated in a less desirable location.
There will be no limit to the number of bowl tickets a patron chooses to purchase, but there will be a limit of 16 tickets allocated in a determined priority seating location (priority seating locations will be determined by venue location and quantities of overall bowl tickets purchased). Allocations of bowl tickets will be based upon UCATS annual giving and priority points.
STUDENT INFORMATION
Tickets for UC Students are available for $25 with a limit of four tickets per student. Students ordering tickets will be able to pick them up beginning on Monday, December 16. If tickets are not picked up at the UC ticket office they can be picked up in Charlotte at the game.
Student travel packages to the game are sold out.
TRAVEL PACKAGES
Fans interested in travel packages through Provident Travel, UC's official bowl travel partner, should call 1-800-989-8900, 513-763-3080 or click HERE.
DAVE & BUSTER'S BOWL SENDOFF PARTY
The Bearcats will hold their annual bowl sendoff party at Dave & Buster's Tri-County on Dec. 15 from 5-6 p.m. ET. The event is free and open to the public.
The entire football team will be on hand to address the crowd and sign autographs. The 2013 commemorative bowl poster and bowl fan guides will be available for all in attendance. The UC spirit squad and Bearcat mascot will be in attendance to greet fans, while the Bearcat Caravan will be on site with great giveaways for UC fans.
If students are planning on traveling to the Belk Bowl on their own, they are encouraged to purchase tickets now at CATSTIX.com.
For further information on the Bearcats' trip to the 2013 Belk Bowl, please visit bowl central at GoBEARCATS.com/bowl. Some of the information available includes: travel packages with Provident Travel, important dates and deadlines, ticket details and general bowl information.
The Charlotte Sports Foundation, a non-profit organization, runs the Belk Bowl and serves as the local organizing committee for the Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game. Fans can visit the official website, www.BelkBowl.com, for more information about the game and surrounding events.
