The North Carolina Tar Heels (11-1, 8-0 ACC) and the Baylor Bears (9-3, 6-3 Big 12) will meet in the 26th annual Russell Athletic Bowl. This year’s game is slated for Tuesday, December 29 at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN.
This year’s Russell Athletic Bowl will be a game of firsts. It’s the first time that Baylor and North Carolina have faced each other and also the first time that Baylor and North Carolina will be playing in Orlando.
This year’s Russell Athletic Bowl marks just the second matchup between teams with a combined 20 wins (2013-Louisville, Miami).
North Carolina is coming off their first 11-win season since 1997, and is playing in their fourth bowl game in five years. This season the Tar Heels played in their first ACC Championship Game after winning the ACC Coastal Division.
Baylor has won eight or more games for the third season in a row and is playing in its sixth straight bowl game. The Bears finished the season first in the NCAA in total offense (604.6 yards per game) and scoring (48 points per game).
