JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Sunny skies, temperatures in the 70s and excellent hospitality greeted a small group of Nittany Lion staff members during an advance trip to the site of Penn State's 46th bowl game this week.
Set to collide with Georgia in the 71st TaxSlayer Bowl on Jan. 2 inside EverBank Field downtown Jacksonville, the Nittany Lions will travel to Florida later this month for final game of the 2015 season. In preparation for the bowl trip, the staff members toured the stadium, team and fan hotels, practice facility and participated in the TaxSlayer Bowl Speaker Series Luncheon.
Representatives from across the TaxSlayer Bowl and Jacksonville Sports Council provided a first-rate experience during the advance planning trip and could not be happier to host the Nittany Lions and their fans in The Sunshine State for the first time since the 1976 Gator Bowl."You look at (Penn State playing in) the Big Ten, arguably the best conference in America. You look at the players and the awards they have won. Coach (James) Franklin clearly has the program going in the right direction," said TaxSlayer Bowl President and CEO Rick Catlett. "It's one of those things where we are going to have the opportunity to have a Big Ten team here, and you look forward to having those iconic brands, and clearly Penn State is an iconic brand."A college football fanatic, Catlett attended the 1983 Sugar Bowl between Penn State and Georgia when the Nittany Lions captured the program's first national title with a 27-23 victory over the Bulldogs."They've only played one other time, which was in the national championship," Catlett said. "To bring these two teams back together, from two of the best conferences in America, I couldn't be happier to have them here."The feeling is mutual from the Penn State administrators, football staff and student-athletes. The Nittany Lions are returning to a Florida bowl game for the first time since the 2010 season (2011 Outback Bowl). With a rich tradition of the TaxSlayer/Gator Bowl spanning more than seven decades, the program is thrilled with the matchup scheduled to end the season."It's a really wonderful bowl when it comes to tradition, and it's a great location for the team and fans for late December and early January," said Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour. "I also think the opportunity to put Penn State Football to the test against a great opponent like Georgia is what Penn State Football is all about. It's an opportunity that our community is really going to want to be a part of.""Our players are ecstatic about being here. It's such a great bowl game," said head coach James Franklin. "And then with the history against Georgia, our fans are really excited to play a program like Georgia. It is just a great opportunity."On the field, the Nittany Lions will collide with a Georgia team led by interim head coach Bryan McClendon. The Bulldogs have won four consecutive games leading up to the postseason en route to a 9-3 overall record.Pitting two of America's top conferences, Penn State will meet a team from the SEC for the first time in four seasons (2011 vs. Alabama). The TaxSlayer Bowl is one of four matchups between the Big Ten and the SEC in the post-season, including three in the state of Florida."College football is the best sport in America," Catlett said. "It has the best playoff system in America with the way it works down. Teams that achieve high goals still have a place to go outside of the playoff, and that's the college bowl system. I don't think there is anything better than that."
Off the field, the Penn State faithful traveling to the Jacksonville area for the game will be greeted by warm hospitality, sunshine and plenty of activities along the St Johns River at Jacksonville Landing and on the Atlantic Coast."This is just a great city," Catlett said. "This is the largest land mass city in the continental United States. We've got an ocean. We've got a riverfront. We've got fabulous golf. Just to the south of us is the oldest city in America in St. Augustine...It's an NFL stadium that is probably second to none in fan comfort and amenities. We like to throw parties down here, and I think the fans will have a great time in Jacksonville."Approximately 30,000 Penn State alums live in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. That mark includes more than 7,600 alums in the Jacksonville, Daytona, Orlando and Tampa metro areas.A bowl matchup featuring two historic programs in a warm climate during is a great way for the 2015 season to close as the program builds towards a bright future. "The opportunity to come down to Florida for great weather and enjoy the Holiday season with one another and celebrate Penn State Football and the bring in the New Year while looking ahead to the bright future is a really neat opportunity for the fans," said Barbour.