The 2000 Galleryfurniture.com Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders from the Big 12 Conference and the East Carolina Pirates from Conference USA (C-USA) at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas on December 27, 2000. It was the inaugural game in the bowl's history. The game was the final competition of the 2000 football season for each team and resulted in 40âÂÂ27 East Carolina victory.
The bowl featured the East Carolina Pirates from Conference USA (C-USA) and the Texas Tech Red Raiders from the Big 12 Conference. This was the first meeting between the two teams.
The Pirates, led by ninth-year head coach Steve Logan, entered the game with a record of 7âÂÂ4 (5âÂÂ2 in C-USA play), finishing tied for second in the conference. This was the Pirates' second-straight bowl appearance, having played in the Mobile Alabama Bowl the previous season.
The Red Raiders, led by first-year head coach Mike Leach, entered the game with a record of 7âÂÂ5 (3âÂÂ5 in Big 12 play), finishing fourth in the Big 12's South Division. Leach introduced a new, up-tempo, pass-heavy offense known as the air raid that saw starting quarterback Kliff Kingsbury attempt an average of 48.7 passes per game.