The 2012 Russell Athletic Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game held on December 28, 2012 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida in the United States. This was the first under the Russell Athletic monkier after eight game under Champs Sports. The 23rd edition of the Russell Athletic Bowl began at 5:30 p.m. EST and aired on ESPN. It featured the Virginia Tech Hokies from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) against the Big East Conference co-champion Rutgers Scarlet Knights, and was the final game of the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season for both teams. The Scarlet Knights accepted their invitation after achieving a 9-3 record in the regular season, while the Hokies accepted theirs after achieving a 6-6 record.

This was the first Russell Athletic Bowl for both teams.

This was the fifteenth meeting between these two teams. Virginia Tech leads the all-time record 12-3. The last time they played was in 2003. The teams were conference rivals in the old Big East Conference from 1991-2003.

A disastrous season by Virginia Tech standards, the Hokies were in danger of being bowl-ineligible for the first time since 1992. However, in their final two games the Hokies defeated their rivals the Boston College Eagles as well as Commonwealth Cup rivals the Virginia Cavaliers, finishing 6-6 and becoming bowl-eligible.

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