NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Chambana Today) — Illinois football has begun final preparations for the 2025 Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl, marking the program’s third bowl appearance in the last four seasons.
The Fighting Illini will spend four days in Tennessee ahead of their matchup with the Tennessee Volunteers, scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 30, at 4:30 p.m. CT inside Nissan Stadium. The game will represent the first-ever football meeting between the two programs.
Illinois enters the bowl at 8-4 overall and 5-4 in Big Ten play after closing the regular season with a 20-13 rivalry win over Northwestern. A victory in Nashville would give the Illini nine wins, securing back-to-back seasons with nine or more victories for the first time in program history.
Tennessee also comes in at 8-4, finishing 4-4 in the SEC. The Volunteers are aiming for their fourth consecutive nine-win season. They won three of their final five games, defeating Florida, New Mexico State and Kentucky, while suffering losses to ranked opponents Oklahoma and Vanderbilt.
The game will be televised on ESPN. Additional coverage and updates from Illinois’ trip to the Music City Bowl are available at FightingIllini.com/2025MusicCityBowl.
