UPDATE: Pittsburg State has just posted a press release on its official website, pittstategorillas.com, that says the team will be competing in the Mineral Water Bowl against Concordia-St. Paul. Jim Johnson, former MIAA commissioner and current Pittsburg State athletic director, issued the following statement in the press release:

“Pittsburg State is very excited to accept the Mineral Water Bowl Committee’s invitation for post-season play. This is a great reward for the hard work and efforts of our players and coaching staff. This will be a great cap to the 2010 season but also an important start to preparations for 2011.”

For more information, read Pittsburg State’s press release here.

ORIGINAL STORY: According to Pittsburg State’s official athletics Twitter account, www.twitter.com/PittStGorillas, the school has accepted an invitation to play Concordia-St. Paul in the Dec. 4 Mineral Water Bowl. No teams have officially been announced.

Pittsburg State (5-6, 3-6 in the MIAA) comes as a surprising pick for the Mineral Water Bowl committee for a number of reasons. For starters, three other schools are ranked higher in the MIAA than Pittsburg State – Washburn (7-4, 6-3), Nebraska-Omaha (5-6, 5-4) and Emporia State (5-6, 3-6). Washburn, being the highest-ranked MIAA school not in the playoffs, has its choice of playing in either the Mineral Water Bowl or the Kanza Bowl. While it is generally assumed that the Ichabods will play in the Kanza Bowl, nothing has officially been announced, as the two schools playing in the Kanza Bowl are set to be named Monday at 10 a.m.

Nebraska-Omaha is the next highest-ranked team, and has a two-win advantage in the MIAA over Pittsburg State. Furthermore, Nebraska-Omaha defeated Pittsburg State Oct. 30 by a decisive score of 48-27. Emporia State, which has the same record as Pittsburg State both overall and in the MIAA, also beat Pittsburg State Oct. 9 by a score of 17-14, and should theoretically hold the tie-breaker between the two teams. Another reason this decision comes as a surprise is that the Mineral Water Bowl has a clause that requires the MIAA representative to have a winning overall record, which Pittsburg State does not.

The Mineral Water Bowl is officially announcing its teams Monday, Nov. 15.