TAMPA, Fla. -- In one of the Outback Bowl's signature traditions, bowl officials extended a special welcome to the No. 13 Northwestern Wildcats and No. 23 Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday during the first official bowl week event at the Outback Steakhouse Team Welcome Dinner.
The teams official travel parties were treated to a feast from Outback Steakhouse while bowl representatives welcomed the players and presented gifts to Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald and Vice President for Athletics & Recreation Jim Phillips and their wives, along with Volunteers coach Butch Jones, Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart and their spouses.
The teams combined to devour more than 5,000 pounds of food including: 750 pounds of sirloin steak, 750 pounds of chicken and 900 pounds of ribs, all cooked over a wood-fire grill. The group also consumed 625 pounds of Steakhouse Mac & Cheese, 1,600 coconut shrimp, 160 bloomin' onions, 700 pounds of salad, 1,600 honey wheat dinner rolls, 1,200 pounds of cheese cake, 60 gallons of barbecue sauce and dozens of cases of soda and water.
On Sunday Northwestern will conduct its first practice of bowl week at Jesuit High School, the team's practice home in Tampa. Both the Wildcats and Volunteers will visit Splitsville at Channelside Bay Plaza for a bowling competition on Sunday evening.
The 30th Anniversary Outback Bowl will kick-off at 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT on New Year's Day in Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on ESPN2 and WGN Radio.
The teams official travel parties were treated to a feast from Outback Steakhouse while bowl representatives welcomed the players and presented gifts to Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald and Vice President for Athletics & Recreation Jim Phillips and their wives, along with Volunteers coach Butch Jones, Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart and their spouses.
The teams combined to devour more than 5,000 pounds of food including: 750 pounds of sirloin steak, 750 pounds of chicken and 900 pounds of ribs, all cooked over a wood-fire grill. The group also consumed 625 pounds of Steakhouse Mac & Cheese, 1,600 coconut shrimp, 160 bloomin' onions, 700 pounds of salad, 1,600 honey wheat dinner rolls, 1,200 pounds of cheese cake, 60 gallons of barbecue sauce and dozens of cases of soda and water.
Annnd bowl week is officially underway with the @outbackbowl Welcome Dinner. #B1GCats crushing Bloomin' Onions. pic.twitter.com/MWVVZXHe3M
— #B1GCats Football (@NUFBFamily) December 26, 2015On Sunday Northwestern will conduct its first practice of bowl week at Jesuit High School, the team's practice home in Tampa. Both the Wildcats and Volunteers will visit Splitsville at Channelside Bay Plaza for a bowling competition on Sunday evening.
The 30th Anniversary Outback Bowl will kick-off at 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT on New Year's Day in Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on ESPN2 and WGN Radio.
.@CoachFitz51 and the #B1GCats are on the ground in Tampa for the @outbackbowl! #FootballInParadise https://t.co/T90QSkgHNB
— #B1GCats (@NU_Sports) December 26, 2015??Chicago to Tampa ??#B1GCats #FootballInParadise https://t.co/GCD9JE8rR7
— #B1GCats (@NU_Sports) December 27, 2015