The Hurricanes already knew they were headed to a bowl game.
Now they know where they're headed _ and that they'll face a familiar foe.
Miami, which secured bowl eligibility last month with its win over Virginia Tech, learned on Sunday it has earned a spot in the Pinstripe Bowl in New York City on Dec. 27. There, the Hurricanes will face the same Wisconsin team that ended their season last year in the Orange Bowl.
While New York isn't exactly the warm-weather locale some of the Hurricanes players said they'd prefer to play in in late December, the selection does bring with it some prestige as one of the ACC's Tier 1 games.
Considering how the Hurricanes (7-5) were struggling a month ago, that's not anything to take lightly.
For Miami, which endured a tumultuous up-and-down season that included a four-game losing streak that spanned late October and early November, this marks the sixth straight year the Hurricanes will play in a postseason game and the third straight year they'll do so under coach Mark Richt.
It marks the first time under Richt, though, the Hurricanes won't play their bowl game in Florida, though.
In 2016, Richt's first year as coach of his alma mater, the Hurricanes faced West Virginia in the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando and last year, Miami played its bowl game on its home field, taking on the Badgers in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium.
Now, they'll have a chance to avenge that loss and try to improve their postseason record _ in a chilly place that also happens to be where Miami has a significant alumni base.
The Hurricanes are 1-1 in their last two bowl games and two years ago, their 31-14 win over the Mountaineers snapped a frustrating stretch in which the Hurricanes went a decade without winning a bowl game.
But Miami, which came up short in a 34-24 loss to the Badgers last season, is 1-7 in its last eight bowl games and since that loss to Wisconsin last December, Miami has dealt with its share of ups and downs.
The Hurricanes started the year as the favorite to repeat as the ACC's Coastal Division champion and had a preseason top-10 ranking.
But a season-opening loss to LSU and that miserable midseason stretch that included losses to Virginia, Boston College, Duke and Georgia Tech knocked them out of the top-25 and ultimately, cost them the opportunity to face playoff-bound Clemson in the ACC Championship Game.
That losing streak also cast doubt on whether the Hurricanes could even secure bowl eligibility, their sixth win not coming until the Hurricanes beat Virginia Tech 38-14 on Nov. 1.
Now, though, Miami will have the chance to try and end the season on a positive note with a win in a bowl game.
