Saturday it was Orlando, Fla. Sunday it was Boise, Idaho. Now, it seems to be Shreveport, La.
Virginia's probable bowl destination changed again yesterday, as the ACC is close to finalizing a deal that would send the Cavaliers to the Dec. 28 Independence Bowl.
Gary Beck, executive director of the MPC Computers Bowl in Boise, said he would agree to release the Cavaliers if either Boston College or Syracuse agrees to accept a bid in the Cavaliers' stead.
"We had heard that the Champs Sports Bowl and Virginia had a conflict," Beck said. "So we just started discussing potential alternatives."
The Cavaliers would likely play Oklahoma State in the Independence Bowl, as opposed to Fresno State if they wind up in Boise.
After Virginia dropped to fourth place in the ACC with the loss to Virginia Tech, the Cavaliers seemed destined for the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando; but because the Dec. 21 game falls during Virginia's final exam period, Virginia declined the bid. The Continental Tire Bowl already offered North Carolina (who equaled Virginia's 5-3 conference record) a bid, leaving the MPC Computers Bowl as the most likely destination for the Cavaliers.
If an agreement is reached between the ACC, the Big East and MPC Computers, however, the Cavaliers will be able to fill the SEC slot in the Independence Bowl because the conference failed to produce enough bowl eligible teams.
Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage said he is waiting to hear word from the conference as to what Virginia's bowl options could be.
"The most important thing right now is to work with the ACC," Littlepage said. "Right now, the ACC has a relationship with Boise, and that's the situation until we're told otherwise and invited otherwise."
The details of the deal still have to be ironed out before MPC Computers officially releases the Cavaliers.
"There's some other things we're discussing with the ACC that I'm not privy to expand on at this point," Beck said.
An official offer would likely not come until next week, after the other Big East bowls issue their bids.
"We have to see what happens with the Big East and those scenarios and see who's left," Beck said.
The payout for the Independence Bowl is $1.3 million, compared to only $850,000 for the Champs Sports Bowl and $750,000 for the MPC Computers Bowl. The location would also be more convenient for Cavalier fans. Shreveport is 1,078 miles from Charlottesville, while Boise is over twice as far away.
"From what I've heard, everyone has talked very positively about Boise," Littlepage said. "From the standpoint of distance, maybe we're looking at a situation [with Shreveport] where our fans could travel easier. We'll focus on what it is that comes through the ACC office."
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