Orange Bowl excited, honored to have West Virginia and Clemson in game

Two Orange Bowl representatives came to Morgantown Monday afternoon, as No. 23 West Virginia will take on No. 15 Clemson Jan. 4 in the 2012 Discover Orange Bowl.

This year, the Orange Bowl offers two of the most prolific offenses in the country as well as two loyal-traveling fan bases in Clemson and West Virginia.

The Mountaineers will embark on their first ever trip to the Orange Bowl, while Clemson has made the trip two times, the last in 1982.

The Orange Bowl committee is thrilled to have these two teams represent them next month.

"We're so honored to have West Virginia in the Orange Bowl this year," said Jeff Rubin, a member of the Board of Directors for the Orange Bowl. "We think we have a great matchup. We certainly have two teams that know how to play offense pretty well, and West Virginia is No. 7 ranked, and Clemson is certainly a top 15 team as well."

"Both schools travel very well, there seems to be a lot of enthusiasm on both sides of the table," he said. "I think that's going to bring a lot of fans down and the goal is to bring the fans down, make the experience good for everyone, and make it a fun week. That's what it's all about."

According to Rubin, about 60,000 tickets for the Orange Bowl have already been bought. That number includes people who were buying tickets themselves as well as those who buy a certain allotment.

Around 17,500 tickets for have been allotted for each school. Ticket prices start from $95 up to $165, depending on where seats are located, including the lower section and the upper corner of the end zones.

West Virginia fans interested in buying game tickets can go to www.wvugame.com. Rubin encouraged everybody from the university to buy tickets through the school website.

"We want you to sell your tickets," he said.

Fans supporting West Virginia at the game will be sitting on the northwest quadrant of Sun Life Stadium, and fans from Clemson will be sitting on the southeast quadrant.

"It will be a nice atmosphere," Rubin said of the seating situation. "Certainly, (with) nice colors in the stadium and the balance of the fans that will come more from the local fans that support the Orange Bowl over the years and people of interest that happen to be in town."

The Orange Bowl Committee is happy with the teams it acquired and feels it was a feasible trip for all supporters.

"We're hoping those people take the time to hop on a plane, come down to Miami, and hang out at the Orange Bowl and see the game as well as enjoy the festivities," Rubin said. "It's a great draw, it really is. Especially because you all support your fans. That's certainly something special: You travel."

There will be events going on all week, starting when the respective teams get into Miami on Dec. 29.

The Orange Bowl will close down Ocean Drive in South Beach for several performers and major recording artists from all over the country throughout the week. Closer to the day of the game, there is a coaches luncheon being held, involving more than 700 people, including alumni.

There is a Bud Light tailgate zone on game day, going from 11:30 a.m. until kickoff, for all fans to enjoy during the day.

"We're trying to make an entire week of the entire event," Rubin said. "We're trying to make it a festival."

West Virginia and Clemson have only met one time previously.