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BLACKSBURG – Frank Beamer’s final game as Virginia Tech’s head coach will come in the Camping World Independence Bowl on Dec. 26. Fittingly, the 1993 Independence Bowl marked the start of Virginia Tech’s current bowl streak of 23 consecutive seasons under Beamer, a streak that is the longest active streak recognized by the NCAA.

The Hokies (6-6) will take on Tulsa from the American Athletic Conference in the bowl game, which will be played at Independence Stadium on Dec. 26 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Kickoff is slated for 5:45 p.m., and the game can be seen on ESPN.

“I know Hokie Nation will be there in full force to support our team at the Camping World Independence Bowl,” Beamer said. “It’s fitting that we started our bowl streak at the Independence Bowl back in 1993, and what a wonderful ride it’s been. It’s certainly been a privilege and a pleasure to work with this group of coaches and student-athletes. We’d love to send them out with a victory in Shreveport.

“We’ll face a quality opponent in Tulsa, who comes from a competitive conference that had four different teams ranked this season. Thank you to all the Hokies who have traveled to our bowl games these past 22 years. We hope to see you again in Shreveport.”

Tickets for the Independence Bowl are on sale now and can be purchased through the Virginia Tech Athletics Ticket Office here: http://bit.ly/VTbowlTIX. For more information on bowl tickets, please call the ticket office at (540) 231-6731 or toll-free at 1-800 VA TECH4 (1-800-828-3244).

All Hokie Club members who pre-ordered tickets through the postseason ticket ordering process will have their requests fulfilled. Hokie Club members who purchase tickets through Virginia Tech will receive three priority points per ticket bought.

The matchup against Tulsa will mark the first time that Beamer has ever led the Hokies against the Golden Hurricane. Tulsa leads the all-time series against Virginia Tech by a 3-1 margin, but the two teams haven’t met since 1978. Tech’s lone win came by a 17-14 count in the initial meeting between the squads in 1970.

“It’s an honor to represent Virginia Tech and the Atlantic Coast Conference in the Camping World Independence Bowl,” Director of Athletics Whit Babcock said. “We’re hopeful that Hokies from across the country will join us to cheer on our team. The game will also hold special significance as we get one more opportunity to honor the lasting impact that Coach Beamer has made on college football. It will also give us another chance to cheer on this great group of seniors.”

Virginia Tech’s 23-game bowl streak is the fifth-longest bowl streak in college football history. Tech fans also can be a part of this history to see Beamer, who announced Nov. 1 that he would be retiring at the conclusion of this season after 29 years as the Hokies’ head coach, lead the Hokies for one final time.

“It’s been almost 25 years, but I vividly remember Mike McCarthy walking into our team room in 1993 and inviting us to the Independence Bowl,” Beamer continued. “Our players and coaches were truly ecstatic, and grateful, to get that invitation. We were appreciative then, and we’re appreciative now. We’ll bring the very same enthusiasm we brought 23 years ago, and we’re delighted to be returning to Shreveport.

“Our current bowl streak started at Shreveport, and for me, that’s where it’ll end. I hope Coach (Justin) Fuente and our players keep the streak going, but, there will always be a warm spot in my heart for the Independence Bowl, and going back to Shreveport for my final bowl game just seems fitting.”

The bowl selection process was agreed upon by the league’s member schools and its bowl partners. The process includes parameters to be followed by the bowls as they are selecting the representatives from the ACC.

As it relates to team records, the parameters state that for the Tier One bowls (Sun, Belk, Pinstripe, Music/Taxslayer), a team that has two or more wins than another must be selected by a Tier One Bowl in order for the team with two fewer wins to be considered.

Tech has won two of its past three bowls under Beamer, including last year’s 33-17 victory over Cincinnati in the Military Bowl. Tech’s current bowl streak began with a 45-20 win over Indiana in that 1993 Independence Bowl, one most remembered for a defensive and a special teams touchdown in the first half.

For more information on the bowl, please visit the Independence Bowl’s website at http://campingworldindependencebowl.com/.

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