WOAY – Both West Virginia and Marshall are headed to familiar destinations for their bowl games this winter, while Virginia Tech is in the postseason for a 26th straight season.
The Mountaineers will play former Big East rival Syracuse in the Camping World Bowl (Orlando, 5:15 PM on Friday, December 28). WVU has appeared in this bowl game four previous times, when it was under different names, but lost all four of those matchups. Syracuse leads the all-time series 33-27, including a win in the 2012 Pinstripe Bowl, the most recent meeting. WVU is 15-21 all-time in bowl games, including 2-4 under Dana Holgorsen.
Marshall will play South Florida in the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl (Tampa, 8:00 PM on Thursday, December 20). This game was previously held at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, and the Thundering Herd won in both 2011 (over FIU) and 2015 (over UConn); however, this year’s Gasparilla Bowl will be at Raymond James Stadium. This will be the first football meeting between Marshall and South Florida. The Herd is 11-3 all-time in bowls, including 5-0 under Doc Holliday.
Virginia Tech will face Cincinnati in the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman (Annapolis, 12:00 PM on Monday, December 31). The Hokies and Bearcats met in this game back in 2014, with Virginia Tech winning 33-17; Cincinnati was also the opponent in the Hokies’ first-ever bowl game, with the Bearcats winning the 1947 Sun Bowl 18-6. Virginia Tech leads the series with the Bearcats 6-5, and is 13-18 in bowl games, including 1-1 under Justin Fuente.
