The 2006 Nokia Sugar Bowl game was played on January 2 , 2006 , as part of the Bowl Championship Series . This 72nd edition of the Sugar Bowl featured the West Virginia Mountaineers , champions of the Big East , and the Southeastern Conference Champion Georgia Bulldogs . West Virginia 's upset victory bolstered the Big East 's profile in the wake of losing three members to the ACC , and likely preserved the conference 's automatic inclusion in the BCS . The game was played in Atlanta , as its traditional site , the Louisiana Superdome , was unfit for use in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
Big East
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
2006 Sugar Bowl