The 2011 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl is one of the seven college football bowl games with ties to the Pac-12 Conference. Mike Thomas, athletic director for the Illinois Fighting Illini, announced on Sunday that the team would be playing in the December 31 bowl against a yet unnamed Pac-12 team. That team is likely to be the UCLA Bruins.
Illinois, like UCLA, fired their head coach after the regular season, as Ron Zook was let go after a six-game losing streak to end the season. Defensive coordinator Vic Koenning will coach the team on an interim basis, including through the bowl game. During the press conference to announce their bowl destination, the Twitter account for the Illini football team tweeted this:
It's official, the #Illini are headed to San Francisco for the @KraftBowl on Dec. 31! Haven't been given OK to announce opponent yet. #B1G
The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, a 12:30 p.m. PST game that will be televised on ESPN on New Year's Eve, has the sixth choice among bowls with Pac-12 ties after the BCS bowls have been determined. UCLA at 6-7 has the worst record among the seven bowl-eligible teams in the conference.
For more news about UCLA football and their potential bowl destination, be sure to read Bruins Nation.