Start spreading the news: Miami heading to Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium

The Miami Hurricanes will be spending Christmas in New York City for the first time since 2018.

The University of Miami learned Sunday that the Canes (7-5, 3-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) will meet Rutgers (6-6, 3-6 Big Ten) at 2:15 p.m. Dec. 28 in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

The Canes, who have a substantial Northeast alumni base, also played in the Pinstripe Bowl in former coach Mark Richt’s final game on Dec. 27, 2018, although no one knew it was Richt’s last game until after the bowl. UM fell 35-3 to Wisconsin in that night game amid temperatures that dipped into the 30s.

Rutgers, which plays its games in Piscataway, New Jersey, is a bit more accustomed to the cold. The Scarlet Knights are coached by Greg Schiano, the former Hurricanes defensive coordinator in 1999 and 2000 before he became the Rutgers head coach. UM was 20-5 those two years and finished No. 2 in 2000 with an 11-1 record.

This season, Rutgers lost its last four regular-season games against then-No. 1 (Associated Press) Ohio State 35-16, No. 22 Iowa 22-0, No. 12 Penn State 27-6 and Maryland 42-24. Rutgers also fell to then-No. 2 Michigan 31-7 and Wisconsin 24-13.

The Scarlet Knights’ wins came against Northwestern, Temple, Virginia Tech, Wagner, Michigan State and Indiana.

The news was announced much later than expected Sunday because Florida State being bypassed in the College Football Playoff earlier Sunday had a domino effect on other ACC teams’ destinations.

“First Florida State gets snubbed from playoff, now ACC bowls in a holding pattern as bowls are battling over Notre Dame, NC State, Louisville, Clemson, North Carolina, Miami & Virginia Tech, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ,’’ bowl expert Brett McMurphy posted on the social media platform X.

Later, McMurphy posted this: “ACC’s Battle of the Bowls continues: Notre Dame, UNC, Virginia Tech & Miami destinations unknown w/only openings in Duke’s Mayo, Pinstripe, Sun & Military, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. ACC’s top 3 picks - Pop-Tarts, Gator & Holiday - could not select the Irish, sources said.’’

UM, which formerly played in the Big East Conference with Rutgers, is 11-0 all-time against the Scarlet Knights and last played them in 2003 – the year current UM coach Mario Cristobal was Schiano’s Rutgers offensive line coach.

Cristobal coached offensive tackles and tight ends at Rutgers under Schiano in 2001 and 2002.

Miami has lost 10 of its past 11 bowl games. The Hurricanes’ last bowl win was 2016 against West Virginia in the Russell Athletic Bowl. Before that, their last bowl victory was against Nevada in the 2006 MPC Computers Bowl in Boise, Idaho.

Last year, the Canes finished 5-7 and didn’t qualify for the postseason. In 2021, Miami was to play Washington State in the Sun Bowl, but the Canes pulled out because of a UM outbreak of COVID-19.

UM’s last bowl was in 2020, a 37-34 loss to Oklahoma State in the Cheez-It Bowl.