TAMPA, Fla. — The ReliaQuest Bowl is about a month away, and the two teams competing for the trophy have been announced.
The Illinois Fighting Illini and the No. 22 ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs will face off in this year's edition of the competition, ReliaQuest Bowl revealed Sunday.
It is only the second meeting in history for the two who last played in 1980. It is also Illinois' first appearance in the bowl since 1991.
“We are excited to extend an invitation to the University of Illinois and the Mississippi State University to play in this year’s ReliaQuest Bowl,” ReliaQuest Bowl Chair Troy Atlas said in a statement. “These are two quality teams that we expect will produce an exciting match-up fans are really going to enjoy. We look forward to hosting the teams and their fans and ensure they will have an amazing experience at the game and enjoying the dynamic Tampa Bay area.”
The bowl features teams from the Big Ten Conference and Southeastern Conference and this year will mark the competition's 37th game. The ReliaQuest Bowl has also created an estimated $1.1 billion in economic impact and distributed about $164 million to universities, bowl officials say.
“The ReliaQuest Bowl is a first-class bowl that will give our program an opportunity to play a very good SEC opponent in Mississippi State with a national spotlight in a big-game atmosphere," Illini head coach Bret Bielema said in a statement. "Our program is excited to make the most of the experiences the ReliaQuest Bowl presents for our players, staff, and fans. This will be a great reward to finish the 2022 season and catapult us into 2023.
"I couldn't be more excited about this program where we're at, but more importantly, where we're going.”
The bowl has brought in more than a million fans and visitors from outside the Tampa Bay region. The sporting event has also contributed more than $3 million to 160 charities since 2016, ReliaQuest Bowl says.
"We are excited to play in the ReliaQuest Bowl against a quality, well-coached Illinois team," MSU head football coach Mike Leach said in a statement. "We look forward to continue competing, improving and building on the positive momentum surrounding our program. Our players and coaches are excited for the practices and preparation ahead."
The ReliaQuest Bowl is scheduled to play at 12 p.m. Monday, Jan. 3 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. For ticket information, click here.