| Music City Bowl | |
| Full Name: | TransPerfect Music City Bowl |
| Stadium: | Nissan Stadium |
| Previous Stadiums: | Vanderbilt Stadium (1998) |
| Location: | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Years: | 1998–present |
| Conference Tie-Ins: | Big Ten, SEC |
| Previous Tie-Ins: | ACC (2006–2019) Big East (1998–2001) Big Ten (2002–2005) |
| Payout: | 5.7 million (2019)[1] |
| Prev Matchup Year: | 2022 |
| Prev Matchup Season: | 2022 |
| Prev Matchup Teams: | Kentucky vs. Iowa |
| Prev Matchup Score: | Iowa 21–0 |
| Next Matchup Year: | 2023 |
| Next Matchup Season: | 2023 |
| Next Matchup Teams: | Auburn vs. Maryland |
| Next Matchup Date: | Maryland 31–13 |
The Music City Bowl is a post-season American college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played in Nashville, Tennessee, since 1998. Since 2020, it has been sponsored by TransPerfect and is officially known as the TransPerfect Music City Bowl. Previous title sponsors include American General Life & Accident (1998), HomePoint.com (1999), Gaylord Entertainment (2002–2003), both Gaylord Entertainment and Bridgestone (2004–2009), and Franklin American Mortgage Company (2010–2019). From 2014 through 2019, the bowl had tie-ins with the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big Ten Conference, and Southeastern Conference (SEC); for 2020 through 2025, the bowl has tie-ins with the Big Ten and SEC.
The 2020 edition, slated for December 30 between Missouri and Iowa, was cancelled on December 27 due to COVID-19 issues within Missouri's program.[2]
The first Music City Bowl was played at Vanderbilt Stadium in 1998. Beginning in 1999, the game was moved to the just completed home stadium of the Tennessee Titans, now known as Nissan Stadium. American General Life & Accident (now a subsidiary of AIG) sponsored the inaugural 1998 game, and the now-defunct "homepoint.com" sponsored the 1999 game. There was no sponsor in 2000 or 2001. In 2002, with title sponsorship from Nashville-based Gaylord Hotels, the game became known as the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl. In 2003, Bridgestone became the presenting sponsor of the game, and its full title became the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl presented by Bridgestone. Bridgestone dropped its presenting sponsorship following the 2007 game. Beginning with the 2010 game, Franklin American Mortgage served as title sponsor, with Gaylord continuing as a major sponsor of the event.[3] In December 2019, it was announced that TransPerfect, a New York City-based translation services company, would take over title sponsorship of the bowl for the 2020 through 2025 playings.[4]
The game initially featured a matchup between representatives of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the Big East Conference. The Big East was replaced by the Big Ten Conference in 2002. Beginning with the 2006 game, the Big Ten was replaced by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The ACC also took part in the 2005 game, when Virginia appeared because the SEC did not have enough bowl-eligible teams. For six seasons beginning in 2014, the Music City Bowl shared its tie in with the Gator Bowl (also known as the TaxSlayer Bowl for several playings), to match an SEC team with either an ACC or Big Ten team.[5] In June 2019, the Music City Bowl announced an extension to their agreement with the SEC, and an agreement for the Big Ten to provide teams for the 2020 through 2025 seasons.[6]
The Music City Bowl has a history of upsets. The biggest underdog win was when Kentucky (+10) defeated Clemson 28–20 in 2006. Other big upsets include Minnesota (+7) defeating Arkansas 29–14 in 2002, and Virginia (+6) defeating Minnesota 34–31 in 2005. Boston College was a four-point underdog when they defeated Georgia 20–16 in 2001, West Virginia was a three-point underdog when they beat Ole Miss in 2000, Syracuse was a three-point underdog when they defeated Kentucky in 1999, and Minnesota was a one-point underdog when they beat Alabama in 2004. In 2008, four-point underdog Vanderbilt, making their first bowl appearance since 1982, upset Boston College, 24th in the BCS rankings, 16–14.
All rankings are taken from the AP Poll prior to the game being played.
| Date Played | Winning Team | Losing Team | Attendance[7] | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 29, 1998 | Virginia Tech | 38 | 7 | 41,248 | notes | ||
| December 29, 1999 | Syracuse | 20 | 13 | 59,221 | notes | ||
| December 28, 2000 | West Virginia | 49 | 38 | 47,119 | notes | ||
| December 28, 2001 | Boston College | 20 | 16 | 46,125 | notes | ||
| December 30, 2002 | Minnesota | 29 | 14 | 39,183 | notes | ||
| December 31, 2003 | Auburn | 28 | 14 | 55,109 | notes | ||
| December 31, 2004 | Minnesota | 20 | 16 | 66,089 | notes | ||
| December 30, 2005 | Virginia | 34 | 31 | 40,519 | notes | ||
| December 29, 2006 | Kentucky | 28 | 20 | 68,024 | notes | ||
| December 31, 2007 | Kentucky | 35 | 28 | 68,661 | notes | ||
| December 31, 2008 | Vanderbilt | 16 | Boston College | 14 | 54,250 | notes | |
| December 27, 2009 | Clemson | 21 | 13 | 57,280 | notes | ||
| December 30, 2010 | North Carolina | 30 | 27 | 69,143 | notes | ||
| December 30, 2011 | Mississippi State | 23 | 17 | 55,208 | notes | ||
| December 31, 2012 | Vanderbilt | 38 | 24 | 55,801 | notes | ||
| December 30, 2013 | Ole Miss | 25 | 17 | 52,125 | notes | ||
| December 30, 2014 | Notre Dame | 31 | 28 | 60,419 | notes | ||
| December 30, 2015 | Louisville | 27 | 21 | 50,478 | notes | ||
| December 30, 2016 | Tennessee | 38 | 24 | 68,496 | notes | ||
| December 29, 2017 | No. 20 Northwestern | 24 | 23 | 48,675 | notes | ||
| December 28, 2018 | Auburn | 63 | 14 | 59,024 | notes | ||
| December 30, 2019 | Louisville | 38 | 28 | 46,850 | notes | ||
| December 30, 2020 | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues | — | [8] | ||||
| December 30, 2021 | Purdue | 48 | 45 | 69,489 | notes | ||
| December 31, 2022 | Iowa | 21 | 0 | 42,312 | notes | ||
| December 30, 2023 | Maryland | 31 | 13 | 50,088 | notes | ||
| Date played | MVP | Team | Position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 29, 1998 | Virginia Tech | DE | ||
| December 29, 1999 | Syracuse | RB | ||
| December 29, 2000 | Brad Lewis | West Virginia | QB | |
| December 28, 2001 | Boston College | RB | ||
| December 30, 2002 | Dan Nystrom | Minnesota | K | |
| December 31, 2003 | Auburn | QB | ||
| December 31, 2004 | Minnesota | RB | ||
| December 30, 2005 | Virginia | QB | ||
| December 29, 2006 | Kentucky | QB | ||
| December 31, 2007 | Kentucky | QB | ||
| December 31, 2008 | Brett Upson | Vanderbilt | P | |
| December 27, 2009 | Clemson | RB | ||
| December 30, 2010 | North Carolina | RB | ||
| December 30, 2011 | Mississippi State | RB | ||
| December 31, 2012 | Vanderbilt | RB | ||
| December 30, 2013 | Ole Miss | QB | ||
| December 30, 2014 | Notre Dame | QB | ||
| December 30, 2015 | Louisville | QB | ||
| December 30, 2016 | Tennessee | QB | ||
| December 29, 2017 | Northwestern | RB | ||
| December 28, 2018 | Auburn | QB | ||
| December 30, 2019 | Louisville | QB | ||
| December 30, 2021 | Broc Thompson | Purdue | WR | |
| December 31, 2022 | Iowa | DB | ||
| December 30, 2023 | Billy Edwards Jr.[10] | Maryland | QB |
Updated through the December 2023 edition (25 games, 50 total appearances).
| Rank | Team | Appearances | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 2–4 | |
| 2 | 3 | 2–1 | |
| 3 | 2–1 | ||
| 3 | 1–2 | ||
| 5 | 2 | 2–0 | |
| 2 | 2–0 | ||
| 2 | 1–1 | ||
| 2 | 1–1 | ||
| 2 | 1–1 | ||
| 2 | 1–1 | ||
| 2 | 1–1 | ||
| 2 | 0–2 |
Updated through the December 2023 edition (25 games, 50 total appearances).
| Conference | Record | Appearances by season | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | W | L | Win pct. | Won | Lost |
| 24 | 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018 | 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 | |||
| 11 | 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2019 | 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013 | |||
| 10 | 2002, 2004, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023 | 2003, 2005, 2016, 2018 | |||
| 4 | 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 | ||||
| 1 | 2014 |
The most lopsided game was Auburn's 63–14 win over Purdue in the 2018 edition. Auburn's 63 points (56 in the first half alone, a record for a half in any bowl game) is the bowl's high score, while Kentucky's 0 points in 2022 is the low score. The closest game was Vanderbilt's 16–14 win over Boston College in 2008. This also marked the lowest point total in the bowl's history. The 87 point total in the 2000 edition, when West Virginia defeated Ole Miss, 49–38, is a high for the bowl. A new attendance record for the bowl of 69,489 was set by the 2021 game, surpassing the prior record of 69,143 that had been set by the 2010 game.
| Team | Record, Team vs. Opponent | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most points scored (one team) | 63, Auburn vs. Purdue | 2018 | |
| Most points scored (losing team) | 45, Tennessee vs. Purdue | 2021 | |
| Most points scored (both teams) | 93, Purdue (48) vs. Tennessee (45) | 2021 | |
| Fewest points allowed | 0, Iowa (21) v. Kentucky (0) | 2022 | |
| Largest margin of victory | 49, Auburn (63) vs. Purdue (14) | 2018 | |
| Total yards | 666, Tennessee vs. Purdue | 2021 | |
| Rushing yards | 333, Northwestern vs. Kentucky | 2017 | |
| Passing yards | 534, Purdue vs. Tennessee | 2021 | |
| First downs | 31, Tennessee vs. Purdue | 2021 | |
| Fewest yards | 185, Kentucky vs. Iowa | 2022 | |
| Fewest rushing yards | 21, Alabama vs. Minnesota | 2004 | |
| Fewest passing yards | 71, Virginia Tech vs. Alabama | 1998 | |
| Individual | Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent | Year | |
| All-purpose yards | 284, Tobias Palmer (NC State) | 2012 | |
| Touchdowns (all-purpose) | 3, shared by: Joshua Dobbs (Tennessee) Darius Slayton (Auburn) Cedric Tillman (Tennessee) | 2016 2018 2021 | |
| Rushing yards | 226, Lamar Jackson (Louisville) | 2015 | |
| Rushing touchdowns | 3, Joshua Dobbs (Tennessee) | 2016 | |
| Passing yards | 534, Aidan O'Connell (Purdue) | 2021 | |
| Passing touchdowns | 5, shared by: Brad Lewis (West Virginia) Jarrett Stidham (Auburn) Hendon Hooker (Tennessee) Aidan O'Connell (Purdue) | 2000 2018 2021 2021 | |
| Receptions | 11, shared by: Josh Reynolds (Texas A&M)<br>Rondale Moore (Purdue) | 2015 2018 | |
| Receiving yards | 217, Broc Thompson (Purdue) | 2021 | |
| Receiving touchdowns | 3, shared by: Darius Slayton (Auburn) Cedric Tillman (Tennessee) | 2018 2021 | |
| Tackles | 20, Jeremy Banks (Tennessee) | 2021 | |
| Sacks | 3.0, Devonte Fields (Louisville) | 2015 | |
| Interceptions | 2, Michael Lehan (Minnesota) | 2002 | |
| Long Plays | Record, Team vs. Opponent | Year | |
| Touchdown run | 89 yds., Leonard Fournette (LSU) | 2014 | |
| Touchdown pass | 75 yds., shared by: Anthony Jennings to John Diarse (LSU) Aidan O'Connell to Broc Thompson (Purdue) | 2014 2021 | |
| Kickoff return | 100 yds., Leonard Fournette (LSU) | 2014 | |
| Punt return | 47 yds., Rafael Little (Kentucky) | 2006 | |
| Interception return | 65 yds., Trey Wilson (Vanderbilt) | 2012 | |
| Fumble return | 31 yds., Khane Pass (Louisville) | 2019 | |
| Punt | 68 yds., Tyler Campbell (Ole Miss) | 2013 | |
| Field goal | 49 yds., Jack Howes (Maryland) | 2023 | |
| Miscellaneous | Record, Team vs. Opponent | Year | |
| Bowl Attendance | 69,489, Purdue vs. Tennessee | 2021 |
The bowl has been televised by ESPN since its inception.