BC will play Colorado State

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BOSTON -- Boston College accepted an invitation to play Colorado State in the San Francisco Bowl on New Year's Eve, the school said Sunday.

The Eagles (7-5), who will be playing in a postseason bowl game for the fifth consecutive year, beat out Syracuse and Pittsburgh for the berth. The Rams are also 7-5.

"We are thrilled to accept this invitation," BC Athletics Director Gene DeFilippo said in a statement on the school's Web site.

Gary Cavalli, the bowl's executive director, said BC brought a number of "positive things" into the game.

"They have a great football tradition, they have a strong national following, they have a strong alumni base in the (San Francisco) Bay area, and they bring a huge TV market," said Cavalli.

About 6,777 BC alumni live in California, with more than 3,000 in the northern part of the state, according to school records.

BC defeated then-ranked Virginia Tech, 34-27, on Nov. 22 in Blacksburg, Va. -- the first time that the Eagles won seven or more games in each of five consecutive seasons.

"I know this football team is excited about the opportunity to play in this bowl game," said coach Tom O'Brien. "It was very important for our senior class to get this opportunity."

When the Rams accepted their invitation last week, coach Sonny Lubick said he looked forward to playing a Big East team.

"A game like this could give even more credibility to our school and program," he said at the time.

The Rams fell out of the Mountain West title race after losing back-to-back road games at Wyoming and New Mexico. However, after beating San Diego State and UNLV, CSU became eligible for one of the conference's three bowl berths.

Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press

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