The University of Missouri football team has accepted an invitation to play in the 2008 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, as announced today by Mizzou and Cotton Bowl officials.

Head Coach Gary Pinkel and his 7th-ranked Tigers (11-2 overall, 7-1 in Big 12 and North Division champions) will play in the 72nd annual edition of the game, set for Jan. 1st in Dallas, Texas, against the 25th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks (8-4 overall, 4-4 and 3rd in SEC West). The game will kickoff at 10:40 a.m. (central) and will be televised nationally on Fox.

This will mark the first New Year’s Day bowl game for Missouri since the Tigers played in the 1970 Orange Bowl (Penn State 10, Mizzou 3), and it will be MU’s 10th alltime New Year’s Day bowl appearance. The Tigers will be making only their second appearance in the Cotton Bowl, with the other outing coming in 1946 (Texas 40, Mizzou 27).