Pinstripe Bowl Selects Syracuse For Inaugural Contest

After a relatively lofty 7-5 finish to the regular season, the Syracuse Orange are opening one holiday present early: a trip to the first-ever New Era Pinstripe Bowl, to be held in Yankee Stadium. (Lord willing, both endzones will be utilized.) It's hard not to wish for better for the Orange, whose fans seem like nice people but who will have to be associated with the history of the Yankees from here on out, but they get to see New York City in December, so that's nice. (I was hoping for West Virginia to go, just for the culture clash, but the Mountaineers are bound for better things, it seems.)

Even losing three of their last four games, the Orange finished in the top half of what turned out to be a weak Big East. They'll draw a middle-of-the-pack Big 12 opponent, probably Kansas State, to kick off a new era (see that?) of exorbitantly overwrought sporting experiences in New York.

Bowl selections will continue to roll in throughout the week, and we'll be following them all right here. Stay tuned to this StoryStream through the selection show this Sunday night, and connect with Syracuse fans at SB Nation's TNIAAM.