EAT MOR CHIKIN

A heavily-scrutinized selection process for Southeastern Conference schools has come to a close for Tennessee football fans.

The Volunteers have accepted an invitation to the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta.

"We're absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to host the Volunteers again in the Chick-fil-A Bowl and give coach (Lane) Kiffin his first bowl experience at Tennessee," said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Bowl president and CEO. "We feel like we're getting the best SEC team available outside the BCS and a program that is one of the most significant brands in all of college football."

Kickoff in the Georgia Dome is Dec. 31 at 7:30 EST.

The opponent is Virginia Tech (9-3, 6-2 ACC). The two have met seven times dating back to 1896. Tennessee holds a 5-2 advantage in the series.

Tickets can be purchased through Tennessee or through the bowl itself.

Many assumed that the Kentucky/Tennessee winner in each team's season finale would head to the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla. The Outback has typically taken the No. 2 team from the SEC East Division.

The Outback instead sent an invitation to Auburn, who finished 7-5 overall and 3-5 in the SEC, good enough for fifth in the West Division. The Tigers, who lost five of their last seven games, will face Northwestern on New Year's Day.

The Vols also went 7-5 overall but own a 4-4 mark in SEC play. They have won four of their last five.

"We're really excited to be going to Atlanta for a great bowl game, the Chick-fil-A Bowl," Kiffin said. "Not only is this a great bowl game, but we have many players from the Atlanta area and the state of Georgia. It's a great location for us to be this postseason. We look forward to playing in a first-class bowl game and first-class facility."

Of the 159 votes cast on the Times-Gazette's poll asking readers which bowl they wanted to see the Vols participate in, only 18.9 percent preferred a trip to Atlanta with the most votes (39 percent) showing a desire to make the short jaunt to the Music City Bowl in Nashville.

It will be Tennessee's 48th bowl appearance, good for third in NCAA. They enter with 25 bowl wins in the books and carry a 1-3 mark in the Chick-fil-A/Peach Bowl.