ansas football coach Mark Mangino talks during a news conference at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla. Mangino and his Virginia Tech counterpart, Frank Beamer, met the press Wednesday to talk about their Jan. 3 Orange Bowl showdown.

Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer speaks during a news conference Wednesday in Hollywood, Fla. Virginia Tech will face Kansas in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 3.

Hollywood, Fla. ? Against all odds, coach Mark Mangino found himself at a South Florida casino Wednesday.

Mangino’s surprising Kansas University football team earned a Bowl Championship Series at-large berth and a trip to the Orange Bowl to face Atlantic Coast Conference champion Virginia Tech on Jan. 3. Mangino and Hokies coach Frank Beamer appeared at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino to promote the game.

“Our football tradition is not really a great one,” Mangino said. “But anyone can have a bad century.”

Kansas (11-1) will play in the Orange Bowl for the first time since 1969 and in a bowl for only the 11th time. Beamer said the Jayhawks are not to be taken lightly.

“What a great story,” Beamer said. “I really believe there’s going to be so much excitement around this game with them, and certainly we’ll have some fans that get excited, also.”

Beamer’s Hokies (11-2) have a story to tell this season, too. They provided healing at the school after 32 people on campus died at the hands of Seung-Hui Cho before he killed himself April 16.

“How the people of Virginia Tech handled that tragedy and how they responded is really how we’ll be remembered,” Beamer said. “I can tell you, after that tragedy, Tech people just wanted to be with Tech people.

“And I think football games, and being able to get in that stadium and scream and have some happiness – to be able to win the ACC championship – sometimes I think it was just meant to be.”

For the Jayhawks, a trip to South Florida seemed unlikely after they lost to Missouri. The result gave the Tigers the Big 12 North division crown, but their BCS bowl hopes fizzled with a second loss to Oklahoma in the conference title game.

The Jayhawks set a school record for victories, but played a weak schedule. Missing were Texas and Oklahoma, and the nonconference games included Central Michigan, Southeastern Louisiana, Toledo and Florida International.

Still, the Orange Bowl selected Kansas over Missouri.

“We had to make a choice. And we did the best we could to make that decision,” Orange Bowl committee member Eric Poms said. “And it was tough.”

Missouri (11-2) will face No. 25 Arkansas (8-4) in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Day. Because of the Tigers’ loss in the Big 12 title game, Mangino said he was not surprised to receive the Orange Bowl bid.

“If you get a chance to play in the championship game, you probably have to win it,” he said. “Because the last game that you play the day before the bowl announcements are made is the last game that a lot of people remember. I empathize with Missouri, but we were 6-6 last year – that means bowl eligible – and we didn’t get a bowl bid last year. So we understand.”