ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - West Virginia and North Carolina State have accepted invitations to play in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando.

The 22nd-ranked Mountaineers will face the Wolfpack on Dec. 28 at the Florida Citrus Bowl stadium. West Virginia went 9-3 this season, and N.C. State had an 8-4 record.

Bowl officials had the option to take a 7-5 Notre Dame team instead of a Big East school. But after the Mountaineers missed out on a BCS bowl, the large pack of fans they usually bring were enough to sway Orlando officials. The Fighting Irish will play Miami in the Sun Bowl.

The Wolfpack and Mountaineers have some postseason precedent.

N.C. State routed West Virginia 49-13 in the 1972 Peach Bowl. The Mountaineers came back to beat the Wolfpack 13-10 in the 1975 Peach Bowl.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-12-05-10 2214EST