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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees in action with running back Tarean Folston against Stanford during an NCAA college football game on Nov. 30 in Stanford, Calif.
Notre Dame plans to accept a bid to the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.
The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not become official, said Notre Dame officials have informed bowl organizers that the Fighting Irish will play in the Dec. 28 game in New York against a team from the American Athletic Conference.
CBS.com first reported Notre Dame’s decision.
The Fighting Irish were left without a pre-arranged bowl destination this season. Notre Dame’s final choice came down to the Hawaii Bowl or the Pinstripe Bowl. The Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego also was a possibility.
The Irish regularly try to play games in the New York area, where they have a huge following. They played Army in a regular-season game at Yankee Stadium in 2010, the first college football game at the new stadium. Notre Dame will play Syracuse next season at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
The Fighting Irish (8-4) will likely play Rutgers (5-6) if the Scarlet Knights beat USF to become bowl-eligible on Saturday or Houston (8-4).
Notre Dame didn’t have a contractual tie-in with any bowls this season, so in a sense it was BCS or bust. The Irish were left to wait for spots to open in third-tier games. The Big 12 didn’t have enough bowl-eligible teams to fill its spot in the Pinstripe Bowl.
The Pinstripe Bowl becomes a Big Ten-Atlantic Coast Conference game starting in 2014. Notre Dame joins the ACC next season, though not for football. It will have access to the ACC’s bowl lineup.
