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Former Hogs Coach Bret Bielema Tried to Force Way into Gator Bowl Spot Vacated by Aggies

Illini had trick up their sleeve that could usurp traditional way of assigning 5-7 teams to bowls

Kent Smith

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© Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Texas A&M’s abrupt exit from the Gator Bowl due to a combination of transfers, opt-outs, injuries and COVID left those associated with the game scrambling to find a replacement.

Enter former Arkansas coach turned current Illinois coach Bret Bielema. Current Razorback coach Sam Pittman’s former boss wasted little time throwing the Illini’s name into the hat, which, at the time, gave Illinois a legitimate shot at taking on Wake Forest in Jacksonville, Fla. despite having a 5-7 record.

Unfortunately for Bielema, the NCAA Division I Football Oversight Committee determined Thursday that Rutgers would get the call via Academic Progress Report.

Bowl eligibility for teams with less than a .500 record has traditionally come down to APR, but that didn't stop Bielema from pulling strings in high places to see if such a technicality could be overlooked under the circumstances. 

Bielema had a potential trump card in his hand. Multiple news outlets have confirmed that Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan, who graduated from Illinois in 1971, is pushed hard for his alma mater to crash the bowl game in the Jags’ home stadium. 

Unfortunately, for Bielema, it just wasn't enough to convince the committee to take the Illini.

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Kent Smith
KENT SMITH

Kent Smith has been in the world of media and film for nearly 30 years. From Nolan Richardson's final seasons, former Razorback quarterback Clint Stoerner trying to throw to anyone and anything in the blazing heat of Cowboys training camp in Wichita Falls, the first high school and college games after 9/11, to Troy Aikman's retirement and Alex Rodriguez's signing of his quarter billion dollar contract, Smith has been there to report on some of the region's biggest moments.