South Alabama headed to Camellia Bowl

Dec 3, 2014 - 10:43 PM Mobile, AL (SportsNetwork.com) - South Alabama has accepted an invitation to play in the inaugural Camellia Bowl, which also will mark the program's first- ever postseason appearance.

The Jaguars will be the Sun Belt Conference's representative in the Dec. 20 game, which will take place in Montgomery, Alabama opposite a yet-to-be-named opponent from the Mid-American Conference.

South Alabama, which is in only its second season as a full-fledged FBS member and began playing football in 2009, went 6-6 during the regular season and tied for fourth in the Sun Belt with a 5-3 mark.

"We enthusiastically are honored to be part of the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl," said South Alabama president Dr. Tony Waldrop. "The importance of this bowl game is great, obviously for the football team and all the fans, but it's also great for the student life here. What an accomplishment: after just six years of having a football program, we're going to a bowl game."

The Jaguars will become the first FBS team to reach a bowl game in its second season at the level. Florida Atlantic, then a Sun Belt member as well, went to the 2007 New Orleans Bowl in its third year with full-time FBS status.