Alabama athletics director Mal Moore accepted the Music City Bowl’s invitation Saturday, setting up a New Year’s Eve matchup in Nashville, Tenn., with Minnesota’s football team.

Moore and Alabama (6-5) coach Mike Shula took the Nashville bowl over the Independence Bowl, which had a higher payout.

Moore said he chose the Music City Bowl because of the proximity of Nashville and the fact that the Coliseum holds more people than Independence Stadium in Shreveport, La. Alabama has already sold its allotment of 10,000 tickets for the game.

“(The Music City Bowl) doesn’t interfere with our practice schedule and doesn’t disrupt the holidays for the fans or players,” Moore said.

The Music City Bowl has never sold out the Coliseum, but the bowl’s executive director, Scott Ramsey, said he is trying to make this year the first.

“Tickets moved really well today,” Ramsey said Sunday. “We expect there to be a lot of Alabama fans.”

Because of NCAA sanctions, the Tide hasn’t been to a bowl game since the 2001 Independence Bowl.

“We are just happy that we made the necessary amount of wins to make it happen,” Moore said.

Shula said he has already looked at the Gophers (6-5) on film. He said Minnesota’s offense will give Alabama – which boasts the second-ranked defense in the nation – a “challenge.”