Poinsettia Bowl executive director Bruce Binkowski and Army officials announced Tuesday that if the Black Knights are eligible at season's end, they will be invited to play a team from the Mountain West Conference on Dec. 19 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

"We couldn't be more pleased," Binkowski said in a conference call.

The invitation is good only if the Black Knights go at least 6-6. Based on Army's recent history, that could be a mighty big if. Army hasn't been to a bowl game since 1996, when it lost to Auburn, 32-29, in the Liberty Bowl.

"This was the best bowl for us, and we believe we have a great chance of being bowl-eligible," Army director of athletics Kevin Anderson said. "We have to come up with the wins, but we are guaranteed. It would just be fantastic. They all love coach Ross out there."

Ross was the hugely popular coach of the San Diego Chargers from 1992-96. His teams made three playoff appearances in five years, including reaching the Super Bowl after the 1994 season.

Ross has a history of turning around moribund teams. A decade after being chased out of San Diego, he remains the only coach to take the Chargers to the Super Bowl.

"I love it there. It's a great, great place. But again, first you've got to have six [wins]," Ross said. "It's a starting point. It's nice to be in a position and have the opportunity. It shows progress."

The Black Knights were 4-7 last year, their second under Ross, who took over a program in severe disarray. Army won only two games in his first season, started last season 0-6, then won four straight before losing to Navy.

Ross was forced out of San Diego after the 1996 season, losing a power struggle with then-general manager Bobby Beathard.

Poinsettia Bowl officials had spoken in the past about wanting to have Navy and Army in some kind of rotation. Navy played in the inaugural Poinsettia Bowl in December, beating Colorado State 51-30 before an announced crowd of 36,842.

Earlier this year, Navy reached an agreement with the Meineke Car Care Bowl that could put the Midshipmen into that game when they're eligible.

Under an NCAA bylaw that went into effect earlier this month, a team can go to a bowl game with a 6-6 record if a contract is in place before the first game of the season. Army opens Saturday night at Arkansas State.

Ross said he would tell his players about the bowl opportunity at practice later in the day but cautioned about looking too far ahead.

"It is added incentive, but it's such a long way away," Ross said. "I don't want to look too far down the road."