For Immediate Release, Tuesday, November 7, 2006

U.S. Naval Academy Formally Accepts Bid
to 2006 Meineke Car Care Bowl

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The U.S. Naval Academy has accepted a bid to play in the 2006 Meineke Car Care Bowl, it was announced today by bowl officials. Navy became bowl eligible with its sixth win of the season this past weekend. The Midshipmen will face a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference to be announced at a later date.

The 2006 Meineke Car Care Bowl will take place on Saturday, December 30, at 1:00 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN. The game will be played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

“Today is a great day for the Meineke Car Care Bowl, as we welcome the U.S. Naval Academy to Charlotte to compete in our game,” said Bowl Executive Director Will Webb. “Navy has shown a great deal of character and heart this year in earning this bid. We are extremely pleased to host them in the 2006 Meineke Car Care Bowl.”

“Our football program is right on track for another highly-successful year,” said Navy Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk. “Although we have a number of critical goals yet to achieve, it is certain that we will be in Charlotte on Dec. 30. I am pleased for Coach Johnson, the players, staff, Brigade of Midshipmen, alumni and our friends who continue to comprise a football family that is truly one of the most supportive and dedicated in the country. Charlotte is a terrific destination with a first-class bowl run by professionals who are among the best in the business. We are grateful for their confidence in Navy and, as has been the case over the past three postseasons, their community can count on Navy to deliver both on and off the field.”

The Naval Academy has a national reputation as one of the best traveling teams in the country when it comes to bowl games. In 2003, Navy brought 25,000 fans to the Houston Bowl and nearly half of the student body attended the game. The crowd of 51,068 was a Houston Bowl record and outdrew 12 other bowl games.

In 2004, the Naval Academy brought 18,000 fans to the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco, and ranked as the seventh-most tickets sold among all bowl teams that year. The 18,000 tickets were more than the combined totals of the other five schools that had played in the Emerald Bowl previously.

In 2005, Navy sold 20,000 tickets for the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego. With the number of Navy fans that bought tickets directly through the bowl game, Navy contributed 30,000-35,000 fans to the game.

Tickets for the game are on sale now. Upper Level Seats are priced at $30 and Lower Level Seats are $55. Individual tickets will be available only through TicketMaster. To purchase individual tickets, please visit any TicketMaster outlet in the southeast or online at www.ticketmaster.com. To order from TicketMaster by phone in Charlotte, call . Tickets are also available at the Carolina Panthers Box Office, located at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

Club Level seats are only available through ticket and sponsorship packages. To purchase ticket and sponsorship packages, please call the Meineke Car Care Bowl office toll free at or online at meinekecarcarebowl.com.

The Meineke Car Care Bowl has averaged almost 64,000 fans each year and has sold out two of its four years. In addition, the game has reached over 6.5 million television households. In 2003, it 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.

The inaugural game, played on December 28, 2002 before a sold-out stadium, saw Virginia defeat West Virginia, 48-22. On December 27, 2003, Virginia once again claimed victory, this time over Pittsburgh, 23-16. The third year again produced a sellout, as Boston College defeated North Carolina, 37-24, on December 30, 2004. And last year, NC State defeated South Florida, 14-0, on December 31, 2005.

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