ACC football lost one of its bowl slots on Friday when the Pinstripe Bowl announced the decision to cancel the 2020 game.
ACC football lost one of its bowl slots this season when the Pinstripe Bowl announced the decision to cancel the 2020 game because of the COVID-19 outbreak in New York City. Miami lost 35-3 to Wisconsin in the 2018 Pinstripe Bowl. The 2020 Pinstripe Bowl was scheduled to be played on December 29 at Yankee Stadium.
The Pinstripe Bowl began in 2010 with Syracuse defeating Kansas State. The Big East and Big XII were the originally affiliated conferences in the inaugural game. Boston College played in the first Pinstripe Bowl that was affiliated with ACC football. The Eagles lost 31-30 to Penn State in overtime.
The appearance by Miami in 2018 was the last under former head coach Mark Richt. Richt retired three days after the Hurricanes’ embarrassing loss to Wisconsin. The Pinstripe Bowl is regarded as a Tier One Bowl by the ACC after the College Football Playoff and the Orange Bowl. Miami is likely headed for a New Year’s Six Bowl Game.
In between the Tier One Bowls and the New Year’s Six or College Football Playoff is the Camping World Bowl. Miami defeated West Virginia in the Camping World Bowl in 2016 when it was known as the Champs Sports Bowl. Miami would have to have a collapse similar to last season to fall to a Tier One Bowl Game.
Miami began the 2019 season 6-4 and appeared to be ready to close the season strong after wins at Pittsburgh and Florida State and at home against Louisville. The Hurricanes lost to FIU, Duke in their final regular-season games to fall to the Independence Bowl where Miami lost to Louisiana Tech to finish 6-7.
Statement from the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. pic.twitter.com/OyK8lqk5Iz
— Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl (@PinstripeBowl) November 27, 2020
At 7-1 in 2020 with a 6-1 record in the ACC, Miami has games remaining against Wake Forest, North Carolina and Georgia Tech. If the Hurricanes win at least two of those games, they will likely not fall below the Camping World Bowl and would still have a strong case to reach a New Year’s Six Bowl Game.
With the North Carolina loss to Notre Dame on Saturday, Miami is two games ahead of everyone in the ACC except the Fighting Irish who are 9-0 overall and 8-0 in the ACC. The Hurricanes are tied with Clemson in the ACC, but the Tigers hold the tiebreaker with their head to head victory over Miami last month.
The New Era Pinstripe Bowl has been played between December 26 and 30 in each of the last 10 seasons. Only the 2015 game won 44-41 in overtime by Duke over Indiana was played on the 26 with the remainder of the games between December 27-30. The Pinstripe Bowl becomes the eighth 2020 postseason game canceled.
The Bahamas Bowl, Celebration Bowl, the new Fenway Bowl, Hawaii Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Quick Lane Bowl and Redbox Bowl have all been eliminated for 2020. Only the Quick Lane Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit is afflicted with the ACC.