Rutgers has accepted a bid to play in the Russell Athletic Bowl on Dec. 28th in Orlando, Fla., the school announced this afternoon.

The Scarlet Knights (9-3, 5-2 in the Big East), who have won five consecutive bowl games, will play Virginia Tech (6-6, 4-4 in Athletic Coast Conference. Kickoff is 5:30 p.m. at Florida Citrus Bowl.

An official announcement will be made Sunday night on the BCS bowl pairings show at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN.

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to compete in the Russell Athletic Bowl and we thank the great people at Florida Citrus Sports for the invitation," Rutgers Athletic Director Tim Pernetti said in a statement.

The Hokies, who will make their 20th consecutive bowl appearance, are having a down season by their lofty standards. Among their six losses are two to Big East teams. They lost Pittsburgh (35-17) and Cincinnati (27-24).

The two teams, who were rivals before Virginia Tech bolted the Big East for the ACC in 2004, have met 14 times, including annually from 1992 to 2003. The Hokies hold an 11-3 advantages in the all-time series.

Tickets are now available at www.ScarletKnights.com.