Rutgers to replace Texas A&M in Gator Bowl vs. Wake Forest

Rutgers will replace Texas A&M in the Gator Bowl against Wake Forest after an NCAA committee decided Thursday to adhere to an existing policy for making teams with 5-7 records bowl eligible.

The NCAA football oversight committee also announced that any bowl can be moved to as late as Jan. 10 if the schools involved need additional time to prepare for the game.

The Gator Bowl will keep its scheduled date and 11 a.m. Eastern kickoff time on New Year’s Eve, meaning Rutgers will have less than a week to get ready to play one of the highest-scoring teams in the country.

“Better late than never,” read a tweet from the Rutgers football account. “The Scarlet Knights are going BOWLING.”

Rutgers will be making its first bowl appearance since 2014, its first season as a member of the Big Ten Conference.

“This program has made great strides under the leadership of head coach Greg Schiano and what better way to showcase that than at the Taxslayer Gator Bowl on New Year’s Eve,” Rutgers athletic director Pat Hobbs said in a statement.

“It is an equally exciting time for our Rutgers fans to be part of this marquee game.”

Texas A&M pulled out of the Jacksonville, Florida, game on Wednesday because of a lack of available players. The Aggies were having issues with COVID-19, plus they already had been depleted by injuries, opt-outs and players transferring.