Last time the East Carolina Pirates participated in a bowl game, the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy had never been hoisted.
The date was January 3, 2015. The sport was two days removed from its first-ever playoff semifinal round, and the national title game loomed on the schedule in nine days. East Carolina launched this new CFP era in impressive fashion as a first-year member of the American Athletic Conference.
The Pirates earned their annual ACC wins over Virginia Tech and North Carolina en route to a 6-1 start and the team garnered considerable recognition on a national basis.