Outback Bowl officials announced today that national recording artist Darius Rucker will sing the national anthem at this year’s game when the No. 18 Michigan Wolverines square-off against the No. 10 South Carolina Gamecocks on New Year’s Day in Tampa. Rucker is preparing to release his third country album in January. He became famous as the lead singer for “Hootie & the Blowfish.”

The Outback Bowl will be played on January 1^st at 1:00 PM at Raymond James Stadium. Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster at (813) 287-8844 or 1-800-745-3000 and can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets can also be purchased at any Ticketmaster outlet in the state of Florida.