BY KIRK SEMINOFF
The Wichita Eagle
The Jayhawks were selected to play in their first Bowl Championship Series game. Kansas will play Viriginia Tech in the Orange Bowl, Jan. 3 in Miami, Fla.
How fitting.
Kansas' record-setting football season will end in the same bowl game as the school's previous most successful season -- the Orange Bowl.
The No. 8 Jayhawks were chosen Sunday night to play No. 5 Virginia Tech in the Jan. 3 game in Miami.
The nationally televised game will be KU's first appearance in the 10-year-old Bowl Championship Series and the first appearance in a bowl game Jan. 1 or later since the 1969 Orange Bowl.
"We want to come to South Florida ready to play the game and we'll have great fan support following us," KU coach Mark Mangino said.
During the days leading to Sunday's selections, reports indicated KU had a good chance to be chosen for the Fiesta Bowl. But when Fox revealed bowl pairings during a national telecast Sunday night, the Fiesta had Oklahoma facing West Virginia. Kansas fans had to wait until the Orange Bowl to see the Jayhawk logo.
"I was optimistic," said Mangino, who will take a team to a bowl for the third time in his six seasons at KU. "We're an 11-1 team and we played consistently well most of the year. In fact the entire year, except for the last game.
"But you just don't know until you get the final word."
The Orange Bowl provides a sense of deja vu for KU football followers. In 1968, the Jayhawks climbed as high as third in the polls before reaching the Orange Bowl. That game is known as "the 12-men game," when KU had an extra player on the field for Penn State's failed two-point conversion try late in the game. With a second chance, Penn State scored, and won the game.
Getting to Miami from Wichita isn't tough, but airline tickets seemed to be going fast Sunday night. Prices on online travel services increased as the evening wore on, though airfares of less than $500 were possible if the traveler isn't picky on arrival and departure times.
Orange Bowl ticket costs range from $110 for upper-level seats to $210 for club seats. They are available by logging on to http://www.ticketmaster.com/, or by calling 305-341-4701.
KU is also working on fan travel and tickets to the game. Call 877-713-1982 or check www.doddsathletictours.com/kansas.
The final BCS standings, released Sunday night, determine the top two teams to play in the Jan. 7 national championship game. The standings also determine schools eligible to play in the four other BCS bowls: Rose, Orange, Sugar and Fiesta.
Kansas, which suffered its only loss in 12 games to Missouri on Nov. 24, qualified as an at-large candidate by finishing eighth in the BCS standings.
"I don't know that we're looking for vindication," Mangino said. "We've played a conference schedule here and won some games in tough venues like Texas A&M and Colorado.... I think you're judged on the merits, on how you play week in and week out."
Virginia Tech won the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game on Saturday, defeating Boston College to earn the league's automatic berth to the Orange Bowl. The Hokies finished third in the BCS standings.
KU's rival, Missouri, was ranked No. 1 before Saturday's Big 12 Championship loss to Oklahoma and was left out of the 10-team BCS on Sunday. The Tigers will settle for the Big 12's best non-BCS bowl, the Jan. 1 Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
How fitting.
Kansas' record-setting football season will end in the same bowl game as the school's previous most successful season -- the Orange Bowl.
The No. 8 Jayhawks were chosen Sunday night to play No. 5 Virginia Tech in the Jan. 3 game in Miami.
The nationally televised game will be KU's first appearance in the 10-year-old Bowl Championship Series and the first appearance in a bowl game Jan. 1 or later since the 1969 Orange Bowl.
"We want to come to South Florida ready to play the game and we'll have great fan support following us," KU coach Mark Mangino said.
During the days leading to Sunday's selections, reports indicated KU had a good chance to be chosen for the Fiesta Bowl. But when Fox revealed bowl pairings during a national telecast Sunday night, the Fiesta had Oklahoma facing West Virginia. Kansas fans had to wait until the Orange Bowl to see the Jayhawk logo.
"I was optimistic," said Mangino, who will take a team to a bowl for the third time in his six seasons at KU. "We're an 11-1 team and we played consistently well most of the year. In fact the entire year, except for the last game.
"But you just don't know until you get the final word."
The Orange Bowl provides a sense of deja vu for KU football followers. In 1968, the Jayhawks climbed as high as third in the polls before reaching the Orange Bowl. That game is known as "the 12-men game," when KU had an extra player on the field for Penn State's failed two-point conversion try late in the game. With a second chance, Penn State scored, and won the game.
Getting to Miami from Wichita isn't tough, but airline tickets seemed to be going fast Sunday night. Prices on online travel services increased as the evening wore on, though airfares of less than $500 were possible if the traveler isn't picky on arrival and departure times.
Orange Bowl ticket costs range from $110 for upper-level seats to $210 for club seats. They are available by logging on to http://www.ticketmaster.com/, or by calling 305-341-4701.
KU is also working on fan travel and tickets to the game. Call 877-713-1982 or check www.doddsathletictours.com/kansas.
The final BCS standings, released Sunday night, determine the top two teams to play in the Jan. 7 national championship game. The standings also determine schools eligible to play in the four other BCS bowls: Rose, Orange, Sugar and Fiesta.
Kansas, which suffered its only loss in 12 games to Missouri on Nov. 24, qualified as an at-large candidate by finishing eighth in the BCS standings.
"I don't know that we're looking for vindication," Mangino said. "We've played a conference schedule here and won some games in tough venues like Texas A&M and Colorado.... I think you're judged on the merits, on how you play week in and week out."
Virginia Tech won the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game on Saturday, defeating Boston College to earn the league's automatic berth to the Orange Bowl. The Hokies finished third in the BCS standings.
KU's rival, Missouri, was ranked No. 1 before Saturday's Big 12 Championship loss to Oklahoma and was left out of the 10-team BCS on Sunday. The Tigers will settle for the Big 12's best non-BCS bowl, the Jan. 1 Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
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