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Gator Bowl reportedly set to extend offer to team to replace Texas A&M
By Adam Spencer
Published:
The Gator Bowl was scrambling on Wednesday after Texas A&M was forced to drop out of the contest with COVID-19 issues within the program.
However, it appears a team is ready and willing to step in and play in place of the Aggies.
Per a report from NJ.com on Wednesday night, Rutgers — the team with the top APR score out of all the 5-7 FBS teams — is poised to accept a forthcoming invitation to the game:
The Scarlet Knights are expected to receive and accept an unexpected Gator Bowl invitation after a COVID-19 outbreak at Texas A&M knocked the Aggies out of the New Year’s Eve game against Wake Forest, several people with knowledge of the situation told NJ Advance Media.
Rutgers plans to accept a bid when offered and it has the highest Academic Progress Rate score among all available 5-7 teams, according to the individuals. The NCAA’s football oversight committee will need to sign off on Rutgers’ candidacy and player safety matters in a Thursday meeting, but that is expected to be a formality.
Rutgers had reportedly declined interest in the game, but it appears something has changed.
Now, Wake Forest could have a new opponent for the game soon. We’ll see what happens moving forward, but it would be great if the game was still able to be played.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
