Ohio State and Miami to Meet in Kickoff Classic XVII – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/8/1998 12:00:00 AM | Football
December 8, 1998
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Ohio State and Miami will meet in Kickoff Classic XVII on August 29 or 30 at Giants Stadium. The game will be nationally televised by ABC Sports. A definitive date and time will be announced shortly.
Dennis R. Robinson, President and CEO of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA), will make the official announcement this evening at the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.
“Once again the Kickoff Classic is proud to present two of America’s outstanding football programs,” Robinson said. “This will only serve to enhance the game’s reputation of being the showcase for America’s finest college football players and coaches.”
The Big Ten Conference champion Ohio State Buckeyes, the No. 3 ranked team in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls, are making their 31st postseason bowl game appearance and their 10th consecutive under 11th-year head coach John Cooper. The Buckeyes, who tied a school record by holding the No. 1 ranking in the AP poll for 10 consecutive weeks to open the season, enter the 1999 Sugar Bowl against 11-2 Texas A&M University with a 10-1 overall record and with resounding wins in their final two games of the season over Iowa (45-14) and Michigan (31-16).
“Ohio State University prides itself on matching up against top programs in the best venues in the country,” said Ohio State Athletic Director Andy Geiger. “The Kickoff Classic at Giants Stadium is one of the highlights on the college football calendar and we are truly looking forward to this event.”
Miami bounced back from their first losing season in 18 years to post an 8-3 overall mark and 5-2 BIG EAST record in 1998. Sporting a squad that featured 28 freshman and sophomores on its two-deep depth chart, UM headed into its final BIG EAST game with an opportunity to claim the league championship with a win over Syracuse. The Canes came back from the disappointing defeat a week later to up-end third-ranked UCLA and spoil the Bruins hopes of a perfect season and a chance to play for the National Championship. Miami, No. 24 in the AP poll, will face North Carolina State in the Micron PC Bowl.
Miami is led offensively by Edgerrin James, who made school history by becoming the first two-time 1,000-yard rusher in school history. As one of the most prolific backs in UM history, James established single-season records for yards rushing, touchdowns, rushing touchdowns, and 100-yard games. He was one of six Hurricanes to garner first-team All-BIG EAST honors.
“The University of Miami gratefully accepts the challenge to face an outstanding opponent in the Kickoff Classic,” said Paul Dee, University of Miami Athletic Director. “We are looking forward to returning to the Meadowlands and this great football game.”
Ohio State defeated Miami 10-0 to open the 1977 season in their only other meeting.
This will be the third appearance for Ohio State in the Kickoff Classic. The Buckeyes lost to Alabama 16-10, in 1986 and defeated Boston College 38-6, in 1995. Miami defeated Auburn 20-18, in the second Kickoff Classic in 1984. Two teams that played in the Kickoff Classic have gone on to win the national championship — Florida State in 1993 and Nebraska in 1994. That number could soon be three. Florida State, who defeated Texas A&M 23-14 in the 1998 KOC, will play Tennessee in the Fiesta Bowl for the national championship. In addition, five defending national champions have appeared in the Classic — Penn State, Miami, Brigham Young, Notre Dame and Georgia Tech.
Miami and Ohio State will each receive a minimum guaranteed payout of $650,000 or 30 percent of gross revenues, whichever is greater, for playing in the game.
The Kickoff Classic is managed by the NJSEA under the auspices of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). Beneficiaries of the game are the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, the American Football Coaches Association, NACDA, and the Independent College Fund of New Jersey.
In the 16-year history of the game, the NFF and College Hall of Fame have received over $6.2 million in Kickoff Classic proceeds, much of which has been distributed in post-graduate scholarships to deserving scholar athletes. The Independent College Fund of New Jersey has received nearly $450,000 from its participation with the game.
Ticket information will be released at a later date.
