Texas Tech Accepts Houston Bowl Invitation
December 07, 2003 | Football
Dec. 7, 2003
LUBBOCK, Texas - The Texas Tech Department of Athletics accepted an invitation today to play the U.S. Naval Academy in the EV1.net Houston Bowl at Reliant Stadium Tue., Dec. 30. Texas Tech (7-5) and Navy (8-4) will square off at 3:30 p.m. (CT) on ESPN.
"We are really excited about being in the EV1.net Houston Bowl," Texas Tech Athletics Director Gerald Myers said. "Houston is a great destination for our fans and for our players. We are pleased to be in the Houston Bowl and look forward to playing in one of the top bowl venues in the country in Reliant Stadium.
"We also are pleased to face Navy in this game," Myers added. "Both teams possess two of the most powerful offenses in the country, so the game should be an exciting one for our fans."
Texas Tech is making its second trip to the Houston Bowl. The Red Raiders faced East Carolina in 2000 at the inaugural Houston Bowl, then the Galleryfurniture.com Bowl.
"We are excited to have the opportunity to play in Houston," Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach said. "We have several players from the area and our alumni base there is strong. We are looking forward to playing a strong opponent in Navy in what as become a great bowl game."
The EV1.net Houston Bowl will feature the Red Raiders' high-powered passing attack, which ranks first nationally, against the nation's top-ranked rushing offense of Navy. The Red Raiders rank third nationally with 42.8 points per game, while Navy is averaging 31.8 points.
"Tech was our first choice for Big 12 representative to the Bowl," said Jerry Ippoliti, President and CEO of the EV1.net Houston Bowl. "This could be our most exciting game ever, showcasing the passing ability of Tech and the running offense of Navy."
Tickets for the game are $57 through the Texas Tech Athletic Ticket Office and will be available for purchase beginning at 8:30 a.m. Monday in the north end building of Jones SBC Stadium. Fans can call the ticket office at (888) GO-BIG-12 or (806) 742-TECH to place an order. Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.texastech.com. These tickets encompass the "Texas Tech Fan Section" and are located on the east sideline of Reliant Stadium and extend from goal line to goal line. Eight thousand of the 10,000 tickets are located in the lower section of the stadium.