The Outback Bowl will once again highlight the Tampa Bay area to an international television audience on New Year’s Day as the Michigan Wolverines meet the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Bowl will be telecast on ESPN and seen by an international audience. Last year’s game was aired in 144 countries. However, the Tampa Bay area will also be highlighted numerous times in the coming week as the half-hour Outback Bowl Preview Special will be televised at least four times throughout the nation on multiple ESPN TV networks.

The first national airing will be on Christmas day, Tuesday, December 25th at 3:00 P.M. (ET) on ESPN2. The half-hour show is produced by the bowl and looks at the Michigan and South Carolina match up while spending much of the show highlighting numerous amenities of the Tampa, St Pete and Clearwater area.

Amenities highlighted in this year’s show will include Clearwater Beach, Busch Gardens, the Florida Aquarium, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and Tampa’s annual Gasparilla celebration. Former WTSP TV sports reporter Travis Bell acts as host for the show.

The current schedule for the special includes airings:

December 25 3:00PM ET – ESPN2

December 27 6:30 PM ET – ESPNU

December 28 4:00 PM ET - ESPNU

December 30 3:00 AM ET – ESPNU

The Outback Bowl celebrates its 27^th game this year and will be played on January 1^st at 1:00 PM in Raymond James Stadium. Tickets to the game are available through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 and www.Ticketmaster.com. For more information on bowl events and area hotels and attractions go to the Outback Bowl web site at http://www.outbackbowl.com.