Overview

Founded in 2002, The Meineke Car Care Bowl takes place at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. It features a matchup of the #3 selection from the Big East Conference against the #5/6 pick from the Atlantic Coast Conference. This past December, West Virginia defeated North Carolina, 31-30.

Over the past seven years, the Meineke Car Care Bowl has averaged over 62,000 fans, with three sellouts. The game has reached over 18 million total households. In 2003, the Meineke Car Care Bowl was named one of the five-best start-ups in sports over the past five years by the Sports Business Journal, behind only the NFL Houston Texans and ESPN the Magazine.

Date: Saturday, December 26, 2009
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Location: Charlotte, N.C.
Stadium: Bank of America Stadium
Payout: $1 million per school minimum
Teams: #17 Pittsburgh 19, North Carolina 17
Title Sponsor: Meineke Car Care Centers
Television: ESPN

2008 | West Virginia 31, North Carolina 30

• Third sellout in seven years, with a crowd of 73,712
• Television audience of over 4.4 million viewers, a new high for the Bowl
• Ranked fourth in total attendance for all bowl games, behind only the BCS National Championship, Cotton Bowl and Fiesta Bowl

2007 | Wake Forest 24, UConn 10

• First time a conference champion in game - UConn (Big East Co-Champions)
• Television audience of over 3.6 million viewers
• Largest single gathering of Wake fans in history anywhere

2006 | #23 Boston College 25, Navy 24

• Two 9-3 teams - best overall records to date in the Bowl
• Top two teams in terms of overall graduation rates in Division I Football
• Television rating of 3.7- one of the highest non-BCS bowls for ESPN that year
• Estimated economic impact of over $20 million to the city

2005 | NC State 14, South Florida 0

• Highest ticket sales volume by NC State to a bowl game
• First NC State bowl shutout in school history
• Estimated economic impact of over $20 million to the city
• 2006 NFL #1 overall draft pick Mario Williams played in game

2004 | #25 Boston College 37, North Carolina 24

• Highest-viewed college bowl game in the history of ESPN2
• Largest ticket sales volume by the University of North Carolina for a bowl game
• Estimated economic impact to the city of $23 million
• 4th-highest ticket sales for all bowls in 2004-05 and second sellout for the bowl

2003 | Virginia 23, Pittsburgh 16

• Highest-viewed college bowl game in the history of ESPN2
• Largest ticket sales volume by the University of Virginia to a bowl game
• Estimated crowd of over 32,000 for the Pep Rally on December 26
• Estimated economic impact of $30 million to the city

2002 | Virginia 48, #15 West Virginia 22

• Second largest crowd to attend an inaugural bowl game in history
• Second-highest viewed college bowl in the history of ESPN2
• Largest attendance outside of the BCS bowls
• Estimated economic impact of $46 million to the city