Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State Accepts Invitation to PetroSun Independence Bowl
December 04, 2006 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER, Okla. (OSU Athletics ) - The Oklahoma State University football program will return to the postseason in 2006.
Oklahoma State has accepted an invitation to represent the Big 12 Conference in the 2006 PetroSun Independence Bowl to be played Dec. 28th in Shreveport.
The opposition will be Alabama (6-6), the Southeastern Conference representative. The game will kickoff at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised by ESPN.
The game will mark the first time OSU and Alabama will meet on the gridiron.
"We're excited about playing in the game," said OSU head coach Mike Gundy. "We're looking forward to another three weeks of practice and traveling down there and enjoying the comraderie amongst the coaches and players.
"And we're excited about our fans. Oklahoma State was a team that was considered right from the start when we became bowl eligible because of the following we have. The Oklahoma State people are so loyal and travel with the team and have represented us well in the bowls."
The bowl appearance will be the fourth for Oklahoma State in five seasons -- the best postseason stretch by the Cowboys since they played in five bowls over a six-year period in the 1980s.
"Our football team did its job by getting us bowl eligible," said Mike Holder, Oklahoma State's Vice President for Athletic Programs and Director of Athletics. "And our fans got us selected by the PetroSun Independence Bowl.
"Our selection is, in part, a testament to our fans and their support of our bowl games in 2002, 2003 and 2004. It's imperative that we continue that postseason tradition in 2006 in Shreveport."
Fans can purchase tickets online at through the OSU ticket office. Tickets are available for $35 and $25. Fans who have already requested tickets will have those requests honored.
"Our allottment of bowl tickets for this game is very good," said OSU ticket manager Tom Johnson. "For our fans to get the best available seats, they should purchase tickets through the OSU ticket office.
"It's also important for our fans to purchase tickets through our office because it will help make us more attractive to future bowl games."
OSU is 10-6 all-time in bowl games. The Cowboys' last bowl win came in the 2002 Houston Bowl, a 33-23 triumph over Southern Miss at Reliant Stadium.
Alabama will be making its NCAA-record 54th bowl appearance. The Crimson Tide own a 30-20-3 record in bowl games, with their last win coming in the 2006 Cotton Bowl with a 13-10 victory over Texas Tech. The 30 bowl wins is also an NCAA record.
