PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) – The Pitt Panthers accepted an invitation Sunday to play in the BBVA Compass Bowl next month against Kentucky from the Southeast Conference.

The Panthers finished with a share of the Big East championship after their win against the Cincinnati Bearcats on Saturday.

However, the bad news is that they lost both head to head games against the other two teams with a share of the conference crown.

The Panthers (7-5, 5-2) were in position to claim the Big East Conference’s bid to a BCS bowl before losing to rival West Virginia 35-10 on Nov. 26. So, instead, Pitt will now play in a bowl with a projected $600,000 payout, the second lowest of any bowl game.

This will be Pitt’s third consecutive postseason berth and 27th all-time bowl game appearance. They defeated North Carolina last year in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

The BBVA Compass Bowl will be played at noon on Jan. 8 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala.

The Panthers finished with a 7-5 overall record this season.

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