Kansas State, NC State to play in 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl Dec. 28 at Camping World Stadium

ORLANDO, Florida (Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023) — The Kansas State Wildcats will play the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl, Florida Citrus Sports CEO Steve Hogan announced Sunday. The game will kick off at 5:45 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 28, at Camping World Stadium and will air live on ESPN.

The Wolfpack (9-3, 6-2 ACC) and 25th-ranked Wildcats (8-4, 6-3 Big 12) have never met on the gridiron, and Kansas State will be making its first Florida bowl trip and its Pop-Tarts Bowl debut. K-State has appeared in six regular-season contests in the Sunshine State in its history, the most recent coming in a 28-24 victory at Miami in 2011. 

North Carolina State will be making its sixth appearance in the bowl, tying the Wolfpack with Miami for the most Pop-Tarts Bowl appearances all time. NC State is 3-2 in those previous contests.

The Wolfpack are 2-1 in the Pop-Tarts Bowl since the game moved to Orlando, with a loss to Pitt in the inaugural Central Florida edition in 2001, and wins over Kansas (2003) and West Virginia (2010). NC State also played Pitt in the 1978 Tangerine Bowl — today’s Cheez-It Citrus Bowl — and won 30-17, with Ted Brown named the game MVP.

Pop-Tarts Bowl tickets are available via Ticketmaster now. Click here or visit PopTartsBowl.com to purchase tickets. Groups of 10 or more may call the Florida Citrus Sports offices at 407.423.2476.