Ryan Dunleavy

@rydunleavy

Rutgers will be making its ninth bowl appearance in the last 10 years

Mississippi State moving up the rankings helped the Big Ten avoid a doomsday scenario

Rutgers finished 7-5 with three conference wins in its inaugural Big Ten season

Rutgers was thought to be a candidate for Quick Lane Bowl and Heart of Dallas Bowl

PISCATAWAY – As much as Gary Nova enjoyed the regular-season-ending 25-point comeback victory against Maryland – and he called it the best moment of his Rutgers football career – he didn't want it to be his farewell.

And now it won't be.

Rutgers accepted an invitation Sunday afternoon to play Dec. 26 in the Quick Lane Bowl, where it will meet North Carolina at 4:30 p.m. at Ford Field in Detroit, home of the Detroit Lions.

"Just being a senior and going out with a chance to win a bowl game and be 8-5 in the Big Ten the first time," the quarterback enjoying a career renaissance said, "I think that's a pretty good season."

The Quick Lane Bowl, which has a $1.2 million payout, emerged as the best-case scenario for Rutgers (7-5) late last week when the Big Ten sent a memo to all its athletic directors warning of the possibility that one bowl-eligible team could be left out and urging schools to advocate with bowls on their own behalf.

"I never felt that that would be an issue. I really didn't spend a lot of time thinking of it," coach Kyle Flood said while wearing a Quick Lane Bowl-logoed sweater. "In any of the conversations that I had, I felt very comfortable that as the selections came out that we would have a seat at the table."

The doomsday scenario created by a contractual agreement preventing the Big Ten from playing in both the Orange and Citrus bowls was eliminated as a possibility midday Sunday when Mississippi State jumped Michigan State in the College Football Playoff rankings to take the Orange Bowl berth. Rutgers, Maryland and Illinois were thought to be in the most jeopardy among the 10 bowl-eligible teams.

"We were aware of a longshot scenario in which a bowl-qualified Big Ten team could have gotten shut out, but we had confidence the Big Ten system would play out as it did," Rutgers athletics director Julie Hermann said through a spokesperson. "For our part, we spent the entire week advocating for our program and sharing our story with bowl representatives."

Rutgers and North Carolina have split six all-time meetings, including four times since Flood joined Greg Schiano's coaching staff. Rutgers won in 2006, while North Carolina (6-6) won in 2008, 2010 and 2011.

"I like the idea of playing another Power Five school," Flood said. "I love the opportunity to play at a great stadium; and to play at Ford Field in a controlled environment, it's a great stadium. We are excited about the affiliation with the Detroit Lions. I think all those things enhance the bowl experience."

Rutgers also was thought to be a candidate for the Heart of Dallas Bowl, which was lower down the bowl lineup than the Quick Lane and features a Conference USA opponent (Louisiana Tech). The Quick Lane choose Rutgers, which had school-record attendance numbers, over geographically closer Illinois, which is Dallas-bound.

"For sure, the Rutgers fan support during our inaugural Big Ten season played a pivotal role in being able to land in a bowl game in a NFL venue against a Power Five opponent," Hermann said. "It's our expectation that the record-setting support they showed us will follow us to the Quick Lane Bowl."

Rutgers will be making its ninth bowl appearance in 10 seasons and third in three years under Flood, who has losses to Virginia Tech (2012 Russell Athletic Bowl) and Notre Dame (2013 Pinstripe Bowl).

"Nobody knew. There were a million different scenarios that could happen either way," redshirt senior defensive end David Milewski said. "I was just like let the dust settle and see what happens on Sunday. Good thing we got into a bowl game. We're really happy about it."

Bowl tickets go on sale to season ticketholders at 9 a.m. Monday and to the general public at 9 a.m. Tuesday and will be priced in four tiers ranging from $35 to $89. Rutgers has an allotment of tickets, which includes 50-yard line seats, but is not financially responsible to fill a quota per Big Ten rules as it was with its past bowl berths.

"I think the time of the game and the short flight that it is," Flood said, "I think both those things will add to the population of Rutgers fans out in Detroit."

Staff Writer Ryan Dunleavy: rdunleav@gannett.com

Rutgers vs. North Carolina

WHEN: Dec. 26, 4:30 p.m.

WHERE: Ford Field, Detroit

TV: ESPN