December 1, 2009

Lee Gordon & Chris Nee
Warchant.com Staff

With the Seminoles struggling to a 6-6 regular season record, they weren't expected to play in a New Year's Day bowl game. However, that will likely change if Bobby Bowden announces his retirement as expected.

If that happens, Florida State will be invited to play in the 2010 Konica Minolta Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla.

"If Coach Bowden retires and coaches a bowl game, we would invite them," Gator Bowl Association President Richard Catlett told Warchant.com.

Catlett said that the Seminoles would likely square off with Big East representative West Virginia (8-3) in the game. The historic matchup would involve the two teams that Bowden has coached at over the past 43 seasons.

"I think it would be great for the Gator Bowl but also a great way for the city to honor him," Catlett said.

While Catlett made it clear that the Gator Bowl Association plans to invite the Seminoles, he said there are some final hurdles to overcome with the conference before it's official.

"We have to get permission from the conference," he said. "We like to wait until Sunday but with all of this going on I am pretty sure the conference would honor Bowden."

By rule, the Gator Bowl is not required to take the loser of Saturday's ACC Championship Game between Clemson and Georgia Tech. Also, Virginia Tech is expected to be selected by the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta according to Catlett. So that has led to discussion between the GBA and the ACC to ensure that Bowden's final game on the Seminoles' sideline is in Jacksonville.

"We absolutely have had discussions," Catlett said. "We have a one-win rule but we aren't required to take the loser of the ACC Championship Game. We can look at the next level down and the next level is a 5-3 or 4-4 (in conference)."

For Catlett, who has had many interactions with the Seminoles and Coach Bowden throughout the years, the expected announcement of retirement is tough to swallow.

"It hasn't sunk in," he said. "It is hard to believe college football without Bobby Bowden. The excitement and the thrill that I will get to see him coach his last game. Vince Dooley coached his last game in the Gator Bowl so it is kind of a once in a lifetime."

The Gator Bowl is played on New Year's Day at 1 p.m. and will be televised by CBS Sports.

Talk about it on the Football Message Board or on the Tribal Council