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ORLANDO, Fla. – The good folks at the Citrus Bowl have made no secret of their interest in the Illinois football team.

They have accumulated air miles between Orange County, Florida, and Champaign-Urbana. Someone wearing the distinctive Citrus Bowl jacket attended every Illinois home game this season.

Although he can’t extend an invite yet, longtime Citrus Bowl CEO Steve Hogan told me Thursday that Bret Bielema’s team is “fully in our mix.”

Illinois is expected to represent the Big Ten against an SEC school to be named later.

Hogan, who has been with the Citrus Bowl since 1995, likes the bowl’s connection to the country’s two major conferences.

“The Big Ten has been a long-standing partner with the SEC since 1992,” Hogan said. “Being the partners at the top of the shortlist outside of the playoffs, we enjoyed that spot and built something very special together with both leagues in this game. When you think about ratings and national attention, that was a real bright spot.”

The bowl turns 80 next year, one of the oldest in the game. It was a hit.

“We’re hoping it’s a mix of all of those: a great destination, lots of equity and history and really good soccer teams,” Hogan said.

Illinois, currently ranked No. 21 in both the Associated Press poll and the latest College Football Playoff rankings, fits the bill. The Illini are 9-3, their most wins since 2007, and are on a three-game winning streak.

“They’re happy for them and they deserve it,” Hogan said. “These are rewards for the players and the program. They want it to be a stepping stone to the season.”

Bowl invitations will officially be sent out Sunday after all conference title games have been played and the College Football Playoff has selected its 12-team field.

“We’ll have to see what happens here,” Hogan said. “I think the playoff slate seems largely set, other than what happens with Alabama. It looks like the Big Ten is set. But you never know until it’s done.”

The Citrus Bowl is scheduled for December 31 at 2:00 p.m. (CU time) at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Illinois will likely appear in this game for the first time since 1990 and only the second time overall, having been considered in 2007 and 2022.

The long gap between Citrus appearances adds to the bowl’s appeal in Illinois.

“You get really excited about a team that’s on the rise,” Hogan said. “If you can add that, it’s a special opportunity. Illinois is building something and people are buying.”

Illinois should have a lot of fans in Orlando.

“There are a lot of relocated Big Ten fans in Florida,” Hogan said. “The entire west coast of Florida often feels like it’s Illinois, Ohio, Michigan. We feel good. There’s a big Illinois alumni base here.”

In the air

While the Citrus’ Big Ten side is fairly established, joining the SEC could be one of a few teams: Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina are the most likely.

“They’re all close to the playoffs and probably all three could contend for the playoffs,” Hogan said. “This is a good thing. We’ll just have to wait and see whether or not Alabama is part of that decision.”

Hogan didn’t say it, but if Alabama is an option for the Citrus, the Crimson Tide will be hard to pass up.

Saturday night’s ACC title game between Clemson and SMU will decide Alabama’s fate. Probably. If Clemson wins, the Crimson Tide could be eliminated from the CFP.

“It’s tough right now,” Hogan said of the SEC options. “There’s a lot to like about each of the three. We’ll have to find out with a little more debate between here and the weekend. It’s good to have a problem.”

If the Citrus choose Mississippi, it will be a duel between Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer and his former team. Additionally, Bielema and Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin took turns promoting their teams for possible inclusion in the CFP on social media this week.

“It’s not a deciding factor,” Hogan said, “but it’s nice to have storylines.”

On the edge

In recent years, more and more players have withdrawn from bowls to prepare for the NFL draft.

“It’s part of what’s happening,” Hogan said. “Opt-outs happen. More problematic was the location of the transfer portal and the way it interacts with the squad administration. This is a bigger challenge for all of us.

“I think everyone is looking forward to the day when we can bring more order to the future chaos.”

Illinois will definitely miss one player: star receiver Pat Bryant. Bielema said Thursday that the Florida native will not play in the bowl.

The good stuff

Spending New Year’s Eve in Central Florida has several advantages besides being close to the theme parks. Like the weather. While wind-chilled temperatures in CU were in the single digits on Thursday, they rose as high as 76 degrees in Orlando. Can we go now?

From a team perspective, Citrus has a reputation for giving everything.

“When you have the most visited destination in the world, that helps,” Hogan said. “We really spare no expense to give them a national championship-style experience. How we invest in their week. Experience the fun things Orlando has to offer.

“We invest a lot in the experience around us.”