The Iowa Hawkeyes have accepted an invitation to play in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando on New Year’s Day. The Hawks finished the regular season 9-2 and claimed a share of the Big Ten championship. This will be their third straight January bowl.Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says they’ve heard nothing but good things about the Capitol One Bowl. The Hawks opponent will be from the S-E-C, Ferentz says it will be a very challenging team and he expects to be an underdog again. But, he says they’ve done well in that role. He says the players will be excited by the news.Among the possible opponents are Tennessee and defending national champion LSU.Ferentz also announced he has signed a contract extension that runs through the 2012 season. Under the new deal Ferentz will receive a base salary of one-point-two-million dollars and bonsus for bowl trips, graduation rates and longevity.Iowa athletic director Bob Bowlsby says Ferentz “exemplifies everything that’s good about college athletics” and says Ferentz has the universal respect of everyone that works with him. Bowlsby says work on an extension began shortly after Iowa’s Outback Bowl victory over Florida. He says he’s pleased they were able to make the extension. He says they’re paying a lot of money, but he considers it a terrific bargain for the university. Ferentz says he is pleased with the new deal. He says he feels “extermely fortunate and very, very excited about the building that’s been done in the program.” Ferentz says he’s around tremendous people every day and he appreciates that. He says fro the players to the staff to the students and fans, he can’t imagine a better environment.
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