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Kansas University senior defensive lineman James McClinton, of Garland, Texas, raises his orange in recognition to the Jayhawks' receiving an Orange Bowl bid at during a press conference Hadl Auditorium in this file photo. McClinton bit into the orange, saying that was his reaction to learning they got an Orange Bowl bid. It is the first time in KU history that the football team has been selected to participate in a Bowl Championship Series game.
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Jayhawks Orange Bowl bound
There is no 'Fiesta' for KU, but the Jayhawks are celebrating with a BCS bowl game. The Jayhawks are heading back to the Orange Bowl for the first time since 1969.
KU to square off against Virginia Tech in Orange Bowl
The Kansas Jayhawk football team was rewarded for an 11-1 season by a birth in the Orange Bowl against Virginia Tech.
Photo Gallery
Orange Bowl announcement
Reader poll
What do you think will be the most competitive BCS game?
- Orange Bowl (KU vs. VT) 42% 1573 votes
- Sugar Bowl (UGA vs. Hawaii) 8% 306 votes
- Rose Bowl (USC vs. Illinois) 3% 130 votes
- Fiesta Bowl (OU vs. WV) 26% 984 votes
- Title Game (LSU vs. tOSU) 19% 727 votes
3720 total votes.
Hey, Mizzou ... how's that No. 1 ranking?
Oh wait. The University of Missouri football team ended the season ranked sixth in the Bowl Championship Series, one spot ahead of Kansas University's team.
And the Tigers didn't even get a BCS bid.
It's sweet redemption for the BCS-bound Jayhawks, as they accepted a bid to play in the Orange Bowl on Sunday, while their archrivals in Columbia are stuck playing in the non-BCS Cotton Bowl.
Even before KU agreed to play Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 3, travel agencies in Lawrence and around the country were preparing for the onslaught of Jayhawk fans looking to make their way to destinations, until last night, unknown.
Walt Houk, president of Travellers Inc., 831 Mass., said KU fans started inquiring about bowl travel packages a month ago. He said his company was busy Sunday night wrapping up package plans with airlines and hotels in Miami.
"We don't have all that finalized yet, but we will have three- and probably four-night packages to Miami," which will include airfare and hotel accommodations, as well as tickets to the game, Houk said. He said former KU football star Gale Sayers and former KU football coach Don Fambrough will act as hosts for the tour.
Houk said arrangements should be finalized late Sunday night. Fans can find information on the packages at Travellers' Web site, www.travellers.vacation.com. He declined to speculate on pricing but said information will be available by 10 a.m. today.
Ken Bruce, executive vice president of Dodds Athletic Tours in Champaign, Ill., said he expected a busy day today as thousands of college football fans nationwide flock to his company's Web site to reserve trips to their bowl destinations.
"Everybody and their brother is calling Monday morning," Bruce said. He urged fans to be patient.
"Keep trying. We're not going to run out Monday morning. Online's the way to go," he said, directing fans to a KU-specific Web site, www.doddsathletictours.com/ kansas.
Bruce said his company will offer packages that include airfare from Kansas City, hotel accommodations, tickets to the game and souvenirs, such as the official Orange Bowl patch worn by KU players. Dodds Athletic Tours will also offer packages sans airfare for fans who choose to arrive on their own.
He estimated air packages would average about $1,600 per person and land packages would cost about $850 per person.
Bruce said all the tickets his company provided came from the KU ticket block; he thought about 16,000 tickets would be allocated to the KU ticket office.
Associate Athletics Director Jim Marchiony said the bowl game has been a hot ticket for several weeks.
"We've already sent out feelers to our Williams Fund members, and so there are several thousand tickets that are already spoken for," he said. "We have also reserved 3,000 tickets for our students. We are giving them discounted tickets."
Marchiony said student tickets could cost around $50. Ticketmaster listed prices ranging from $110 to $210 on its Web site. Marchiony said the best way to reserve tickets is by calling the KU ticket office at (800) 34-HAWKS. But fans should pick up the phone soon.
"We've been active on this for the last couple of weeks, so people have already started acting early," he said. "But if fans want tickets, the should contact the ticket office early next week."
The push for tickets means there will be plenty of Jayhawks descending upon Miami.
"They should be ready to have a lot of fun and see some great football," Marchiony said.
Ashlee Brosh, of Fairway, a 2004 KU graduate, already was trying to book a flight online Sunday night. She said she planned on making the trip, no matter which bowl the team played in. She was happy with an Orange Bowl bid.
"I was surprised, obviously, in a good way," she said. "I know it upset a lot of Missouri fans, so that's always an added bonus."
Fan support is an added bonus for the players on the field, too.
"I thank the Lord for the fans that will go down to Miami," defensive end James McClinton said. "We've had good fan support this year. It's the best since I've been here."
But Bruce, of Dodds Athletic Tours, said Virginia Tech will represent as well.
"Virginia Tech fans are known for traveling," he said. "I hope KU will show them."
GameDay Cram Session: Michigan State January 9, 2009
Lady Hawks open conference play against K-State January 8, 2009
KU takes to the road for Michigan State January 8, 2009
First-half surge dooms Siena to 91-84 setback January 7, 2009
Panel studying faculty ticket process January 7, 2009
Comments
Jclarkson (anonymous) says...
rock chalk jayhawk!!!!!
i am going to Miami. I will be there to support my team.
Hail to thee, our alma mater. Hail to old KU!
December 3, 2007 at 3:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
okjhok (anonymous) says...
Just curious how KU got hooked up with this outfit from Champaign. I don't see the connection...little help?
December 3, 2007 at 6:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
klong (anonymous) says...
Good work! Way to start off by bashing MU! I love it.
December 3, 2007 at 6:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hawkfan20 (anonymous) says...
Going to Miami baby! Hopefully we'll see 30,000+ Jayhawk fans down there. This is an important one to represent well because if we don't travel well, it will dog us on every bowl bid from here on out so if you're wavering at all, step up and support the Hawks!
December 3, 2007 at 7:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oldalum (anonymous) says...
I didn't get the impression that the Illinois company has ANY connection with KU. They are selling trips to all the bowl team schools. And it didn't sound like their game tickets would be in a KU section, other than keeping all KU people who buy from them together.
December 3, 2007 at 7:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KUFAN08 (anonymous) says...
Already all booked to m.i.a.m.i !!!!
***rock chalk***
December 3, 2007 at 7:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Displayhawk (anonymous) says...
Mizzery shouldn't be upset at all! They recruit Texas and they will be playing a border school! If they took care of business in the first place, they wouldn't be squawking now!
December 3, 2007 at 8:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
troutsee (anonymous) says...
I've got 10 from my family going and we are already booked. Let's have a huge turnout.
December 3, 2007 at 8:29 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wats211 (anonymous) says...
the orange bowl is great but it won't do much in elevating the program...the bcs and this joke of a title game is pathetic...both teams in the game lost at home to unranked teams...remember illinois wasnt ranked at the time...we lose a close game ...we get dissed....we only lose once...we dominate most of our games and we are dissed.....i wish we would have gotten a shot....the fiesta or rose would have been better opponents for us....i dissedappointed..we were dissed...but we at least got a game..i think missouri really got stuck....wow...thats the bcs....they dont like the big 12....i think all bowls shouldnot be able to have conference tie ins..example..michigan- florida ...michigan should be in the gmac bowl or something..they are horrible....i would rather play florida than virginia tech....if we dont kill va tech.....i will really be surprised....well my rant is over...go hawks
December 3, 2007 at 9:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
okiehawk (anonymous) says...
It is clear why Missouri is being snubbed by the BCS. God is finally visiting the sins of Missouri forefathers (Quantrill) upon the 4th generation of Missourians.
December 3, 2007 at 9:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jayhawk02 (anonymous) says...
LOL. If we were in Misery's shoes, we would be complaining too. I think they really did get shafted. But it couldn't happen to a better team. Rock Chalk!!
December 3, 2007 at 10:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wats211 (anonymous) says...
I am quite disappointed......i was hoping for more...this bcs has to take all the opinion polls out of the equation...too many voters with big ten and sec ties..there should not be any 2 loss team inthis....we lost once..so did ohio state...that should be the matchup...period...thats the fair matchup......in basketball you do not need to win your conference to win it all..sometimes football turns out like that
December 3, 2007 at 10:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jpstrayer (anonymous) says...
If having only one loss would qualify for national championship...then Hawaii being undefeated would have a complaint.
The whole process screams a need for a playoff...however, even that won't guarantee that the best team will win on the field.
December 3, 2007 at 10:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JayViking (anonymous) says...
According to many pundits, the championship shouldn't be based on your season. It should "objectively" be based upon how good your team is. Best two teams in the championship. If that's the case, why even have a football team at ANY school besides USC or tOSU. We all know if it were the two "best" teams they'd play ever year for the title.
December 3, 2007 at 10:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
madmangine (anonymous) says...
to the writers and administrators here at ku sports: it is an absolute travesty that you did not lead the page with an article about ku being orange bowl bound. seriously folks, this is a much, much bigger story than mario freaking chalmers having some sort of some type of game against a mediocre pac 10 foe. absolutely ridiculous! there is talk in the administration about having difficulty selling our 20,000 seats to the orange bowl so we need all the support and promotion we can get. sorry, but what has the freaking basketball team done but chronically overachieve. wake up folks, there is a new team in town.
December 3, 2007 at 1:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seattlehawk_78 (anonymous) says...
According to the KC Star, Mizzou fans bought their allotment of 16,000 tickets in 2 hours. Impressive.
December 3, 2007 at 1:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
STL_Jayhawk (anonymous) says...
I hope to make it to Miami.
But imagine the crowd down in Texas. I hope Joe-College comes out with shirts for the "Top 10 Things Overheard Between Arkansas and Mizzery Fans at the Cotton Bowl" (Insert your own joke here. e.g. "Does your family tree fork?")
The teeth-to-tattoo ratio for that crowd can't be very good.
Rock Chalk!!!
December 3, 2007 at 1:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dlshaw74 (anonymous) says...
miz-nobcs. Sorry MU. Your our BITCH again.
December 3, 2007 at 1:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bennettcl (anonymous) says...
Anyone know what sections KU seats are going to be predominantly in?
December 3, 2007 at 2:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Displayhawk (anonymous) says...
What's a freakin' joke is that you have to be a Williams Fund member to buy tickets from the KU Athletic Department! It hurt us in the K-State and Mizzery games and I personally had to buy tickets from Colorado for that game!
December 3, 2007 at 2:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kickazzkurtz (anonymous) says...
bennettcl see link for seating chart. It will be harder for KU fans to go to Miami. The airfare is a biotch.
http://www.orangebowl.org/ViewArticle...
December 3, 2007 at 2:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
speedy (anonymous) says...
i,m sorry but what does selling tickets have to do with how good your team is? to be champion should have nothing to do with how many students or alums a school has.
this is what i mean about tv and the dumb bcs controlling things. a 2 loss loser playing for the championship? still voting who,s champ!
December 3, 2007 at 3:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
speedy (anonymous) says...
hawaii .......nice place to visit but you cannot play for the championship! hire a good lawfirm!
December 3, 2007 at 3:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CasperCorps (anonymous) says...
Madmangina don't dog on the basketball team, the nation wouldn't even know what a Jayhawk was if it wasn't for them. Doesn't sound like they're having too much trouble selling tickets to the Orange bowl to me. Isn't this only day number one? Breathe buddy, breathe.
December 3, 2007 at 4:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dsmith84 (anonymous) says...
I have a feeling if we were playing in Dallas all of our tickets would be gone by now too... KU has much bigger ties there than in Miami... I'll be watching this one here in Lawrence, enjoying a nice cold Kansas winter night.
Those of you going for 3 or 4 days... make sure to visit south beach. my wife and I went there on our honey moon this last summer and we saw some amazing things...
I have absolutely no complaints about how this has worked out for KU. other than an 8 point loss to a top 10 team we had an excellent season. and I think we'll cap it off with an orange bowl win and a top 5 ranking.
December 3, 2007 at 5:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tidyB (anonymous) says...
What a complete waste of a BCS bowl game to put KU in. A team with absolutely no history of playing football, let alone playing football well. Even this season is such an exaggeration. They beat absolutely no one worth significance. No Texas or Oklahoma win. NE and KSU stunk so how can those wins be worth anything. And suddenly all of these closet KU fans are traveling thousands of miles to see "their team" play but in the past wouldn't drive ten minutes to see them play. I guarantee two things: 1. If you are a KU football fan, you weren't 12 months ago 2. V Tech will beat KU by at least 10
December 3, 2007 at 7:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
fihsch (anonymous) says...
tidyB,
You are absolutely right. I wasn't a KU football fan 12 months ago, and I wouldn't have driven more than 10 min to watch them play. But I am going to drive 1,500 miles to Miami this Janurary to watch KU, and I am going to have a great time down there!!!
Of the 5 BCS games, KU v VTech game is the tightest competition according to Vegas odds makers. It's going to be a coin toss of sorts. Great game. Good time. Rock Chalk Jayhawk Go KU!!
Let's blue out Miami this Janurary.
December 3, 2007 at 8:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seattlehawk_78 (anonymous) says...
Same could be said for mizzou tidyB. No history and no win over Texas or Oklahoma.
December 3, 2007 at 9:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...
tidyB,
you are absolutely wrong.
Fielding H. Yost
Jack Mitchell
Pepper Rogers
John Hadl
gale sayers
john riggins
Bobby Douglass
Curtis McClinton
David Jaynes
Dana Stubblefield
Gilbert Brown
Aqib Talib
That's just a sampling, but it's a pretty damn impressive list of football coaches and players, and granted, 3 Orange Bowls is nothing extroardinary but it's pretty good for a "team with no history of football, let alone playing football well."
It takes a hell of a lot of ignorance to make a statement like that, and if you took more than a second to truly analyze the history of Kansas Football you'll see that there have been some fantastic teams and players in the past. Just because there haven't been any National Championships or consistent big-time bowl wins does not and cannot discount the efforts of those men and the joy they brought to Jayhawk Nation. Furthermore, I can say with 100% honesty that I have been a fan of Kansas football for all of my 26 years, and I can assure you there are more lifelong 'hawk football fans like me out there. I can also tell you that I hold absolutely no ill will toward KU fans that are hopping on the proverbial 'bandwagon.' The more, the merrier in my opinion. For those of us who sat through the thin times this season has been somewhat surreal, and is the gift we for many years dreamt of. I will forever remember this season as a high point in my life, but at the same time never forget the players of seasons past because this BCS berth is as much for them as it is this year's team; just as it is as much for die hards as newfound fans. Let's all enjoy this wonderful experience and be damn proud we are Jayhawks. rock chalk!!!!!!!
December 3, 2007 at 9:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jhawkdan42 (anonymous) says...
mad madmangine, your pissed we get it you don't have to keep reposting
December 3, 2007 at 10:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jhawkdan42 (anonymous) says...
tidyB-you wear black and gold or purple panties?
December 3, 2007 at 10:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
troutsee (anonymous) says...
Williams fund contributers had today to but tickets. Ticket sales open up to everyone tomorrow including the students. Let's have a great turn out for the bowl. Blue it out.
Oh, and Tidy, MU played KU well but it's a good thing the game wasn't 5 minutes longer for MU. We will give VT all they bargained for and more. This is a very sound KU team that is capable of beating any team in America.
December 3, 2007 at 10:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
OhioHawkfan (anonymous) says...
kickazzkurtz,
Try flying skybus out of KC and int Ft. Lauderdale! I am flying from Columbus, OH, and I only paid 210 round-trip! I'll be in the nosebleeds, but I'll be cheerin on my Hawks!! And tidyb, I have been a Jayhawk football fan, through thick and thin, ever since the day I first stepped foot into Memorial stadium and watched Chip Hillary and Kwamie Lassiter beat the crap out of the wildkittens! I would be at every game, every year, if I didn't live 800 miles away from Lawerence. If the hawks ever play at a Big 10 school though, I'll be there, in crimson and blue!!!
December 3, 2007 at 10:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dlshaw74 (anonymous) says...
miz-nobcs. mu will be our bitch for eternity.
December 4, 2007 at 4:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wats211 (anonymous) says...
lets not forget about nolan cromwell..the man from ransom.....the train..johnny riggins..from centralia.....pepper rodgers...bobby douglas...who could throw a 100 mph fastball with a football...john zook..vernon vanoy...kill vernon kill!!!!!... was the chant in those days..also played for teddy owens...emery hicks...great football players...the wishbone era..with another sharp..skip..norris banks...laverne smith...great players..then there was dave jaynes...of indecent exposure fame...who could read his keys..a can't miss nfl prospect who missed...but he was great..ron jessie..saatoff who croned the national anthem as well.....bruce adams...great players..emmitt edwards..i loved those teams...but the seurer era soured me...the bob valesente...the mike gottfried...and even glen mason...these guys soured me...the only bright spot was june henley..and that nebraska game we had a chance to win...maybe the tony sands game against missouri....but when mangino got hired i was not excited..because of so many seasons where we just didnt play exciting football..the cromwell era..fambrough...bud moore eras didnt bring titles ..but they brought excitement...i am so happy that mangino has put a smile on our faces finally...we all need to find out his address and we all need to send this man something for christmas...because he gave us all an unbelievable present!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 5, 2007 at 7:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )