Pack must find at-large bowl slot

N.C. State will be forced to seek an at-large bowl destination outside the ACC’s nine bowl slots, ACC associate commissioner for football operations Michael Kelly said Monday evening.

The ACC has 10 bowl-eligible teams, and an NCAA guideline requires that the nine slots be filled first by teams with winning records. Kelly said the NCAA reaffirmed that guideline Monday.

N.C. State (6-6) is the only ACC bowl-eligible team without a winning record. Kelly said the Texas, PapaJohns.com, Independence, Motor City and Hawaii bowls might have open slots that could allow them to consider the Wolfpack.

“We’re confident we can still find a home,” Kelly said, “but obviously we have to kind of wait and see what plays out this weekend, see what other teams may be in that pool to select from.”

The shortage of bowl-eligible teams in the SEC, Big 12 and Pac-10 conferences mean that there might be opportunities for at-large spots in other bowls.

For more information, read Tuesday's News & Observer