The Liberty Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in late December or early January since 1959. For its first five years, it was played at Philadelphia Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia before being held at Atlantic City (New Jersey) Convention Hall in 1964. Since 1965, the game has been held at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. Because of the scheduling of the bowl game near the end of the calendar year, no game was played during calendar years 2008 or 2015, while two games were played in calendar years 2010 and 2016.
Since 2004, the game has been sponsored by Memphis-based auto parts retailer AutoZone and officially known as the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Previous sponsors include St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (1993–1996) and AXA Financial (1997–2003).
A. F. "Bud" Dudley, a former Villanova athletic director, created the Liberty Bowl in Philadelphia in 1959. The game was played at Philadelphia's Municipal Stadium. It was the only cold-weather bowl game of its time, and was plagued by poor attendance. The first game was the most successful of the five held in Philadelphia, as 38,000 fans watched Penn State beat Alabama, 7–0, in the bowl's inaugural edition.
A group of Atlantic City businessmen convinced Dudley to move his game from Philadelphia to Atlantic City's Convention Hall for 1964 and guaranteed Dudley $25,000.[1] It would be the first major (University Division, now Division I) bowl game played indoors. AstroTurf was still in its developmental stages and was unavailable for the game. Convention Hall was equipped with a 4adj=midNaNadj=mid grass surface with 2inches of burlap underneath it (as padding) on top of concrete. To keep the grass growing, artificial lighting was installed and kept on 24 hours a day. The entire process cost about $16,000. End zones were only 8 yards long, rather than the regulation 10 yards. 6,059 fans saw Utah rout West Virginia, 32–6. Dudley was paid $25,000 from Atlantic City businessmen, $60,000 from the gate, and $95,000 from television revenues, and cleared $10,000 net profit.[2]
In 1965, Dudley moved the game to Memphis, Tennessee, where it made its home at Memphis Memorial Stadium to much larger crowds; the venue was renamed as Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in December 1975.[3] Having been played every college football season since 1959, the game has established itself as one of the oldest non-New Year's Six bowls.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Liberty Bowl offered an automatic invitation to the winner of the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, if that team was bowl eligible.[4] Due to the limited success of service academy football during this era, the only academy to appear in the Liberty Bowl as a result of this arrangement was Air Force, which appeared in four consecutive games, 1989–1992.
Beginning in 1996, the Liberty Bowl began an affiliation with the newly launched Conference USA (C-USA), offering its champion an automatic bid. Beginning in 2005, the winner of C-USA was determined by the newly created C-USA championship game. The winner of that game was customarily offered the bowl berth from 2005 to 2013.
In 1996 and 1997, the opponent for the C-USA champion was a team from the Big East. In 1998, the Liberty Bowl replaced the Holiday Bowl in a shared contract with the Cotton Bowl and had second choice between the WAC champion and a team from the SEC. From 1999 to 2005, the opponent for the C-USA champion was the Mountain West champion. There were two exceptions:
In 1999, the Mountain West Conference did not have an outright champion, as three teams tied for the conference lead. The conference's bid for the game was given to Colorado State.
The bowl's contract from 2006 until 2013 pitted the winner of the C-USA championship game against the eighth pick from the SEC. The American was to provide its fifth-place team as an alternate if the SEC could not provide a team. The SEC was also given veto power for the bowl, and elected to use it in 2011 to block C-USA champion Southern Miss from playing Vanderbilt; instead, Cincinnati got the spot and Southern Miss accepted an invitation to the 2011 Hawaii Bowl instead.[5] [6]
Since 2014, the matchup features a team from the SEC against the fourth pick from the Big 12 Conference. The Liberty Bowl is part of a six-bowl SEC pool arrangement that also involves the Duke's Mayo (formerly Belk) in odd-numbered years or the Las Vegas in even-numbered years, Music City, ReliaQuest, Gator, and Texas bowls; these bowls will choose one representative from the conference each, while the College Football Playoff receiving first choice (usually the Sugar Bowl in years it does not serve as a national semifinal) and the Citrus Bowl second choice.
The game is televised nationally on ESPN, and is carried nationwide by ESPN Radio, and internationally by ESPN International.
The 2010 win by UCF was the program's first-ever bowl victory.
The 2011 game matched Coaches' Poll 24th-ranked Cincinnati against upstart Vanderbilt, and unlike most lower tier bowls, it aired on the broadcast network ABC rather than its cable brethren ESPN. Cincinnati defeated Vanderbilt in a second-half comeback.
The 2012 Liberty Bowl featured an unusual rematch of a regular season game between the Iowa State Cyclones (9th place in the Big 12) and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (C-USA champions).[7] Iowa State had defeated Tulsa, 38–23, in the season's first weekend, however Tulsa defeated Iowa State, 31–17, in the Liberty Bowl. Though the bowl normally selects a team from the SEC, it invited Iowa State because the SEC did not have enough bowl-eligible teams to fill all of its contracted bowl games.[8]
In 2020, after a matchup of West Virginia and Tennessee was announced on December 20, the Tennessee program had to withdraw on December 21 due to positive COVID-19 testing.[9] Army, who had accepted an invitation to the Independence Bowl before it was cancelled due to a lack of available teams, was named as their replacement.[10]
In the 2022 matchup, Kansas made their first bowl game appearance in 14 years, against Arkansas. The Razorbacks took an early 38–13 lead in the game. The Jayhawks then scored 25 unanswered points to send the game into overtime. The teams traded touchdowns in the first and second overtime. In the third overtime, with teams alternating two-point conversion attempts per NCAA overtime rules, the Razorbacks scored on their attempt and stopped the Jayhawks' attempt, resulting in a 55–53 Arkansas win. Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels set a Kansas single-game record and a Liberty Bowl record for passing yards, with 544.[11]
The first five editions (1959–1963) were played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 1964 game was played in Atlantic City, New Jersey. All subsequent editions have been played in Memphis, Tennessee.
Rankings are based on the AP Poll prior to the game being played.
| Date | Winning Team | Losing Team | Attnd. | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 19, 1959 | 12 Penn State | 7 | 0 | 36,211 | notes | ||
| December 20, 1960 | 16 Penn State | 41 | 12 | 16,624 | notes | ||
| December 16, 1961 | 14 Syracuse | 15 | 14 | 15,712 | notes | ||
| December 15, 1962 | Oregon State | 6 | 0 | 17,048 | notes | ||
| December 21, 1963 | Mississippi State | 16 | 12 | 8,309 | notes | ||
| December 19, 1964 | Utah | 32 | 6 | 6,059 | notes | ||
| December 18, 1965 | Ole Miss | 13 | 7 | 38,607 | notes | ||
| December 10, 1966 | 9 Miami (Florida) | 14 | 7 | 39,101 | notes | ||
| December 16, 1967 | NC State | 14 | 7 | 35,045 | notes | ||
| December 14, 1968 | Ole Miss | 34 | 17 | 46,206 | notes | ||
| December 13, 1969 | Colorado | 47 | 33 | 50,042 | notes | ||
| December 12, 1970 | Tulane | 17 | 3 | 44,640 | notes | ||
| December 20, 1971 | 9 Tennessee | 14 | 13 | 51,410 | notes | ||
| December 18, 1972 | Georgia Tech | 31 | 30 | 50,021 | notes | ||
| December 17, 1973 | 16 NC State | 31 | 18 | 50,011 | notes | ||
| December 16, 1974 | Tennessee | 7 | 3 | 51,284 | notes | ||
| December 22, 1975 | USC | 20 | 0 | 52,129 | notes | ||
| December 20, 1976 | 16 Alabama | 36 | 6 | 52,736 | notes | ||
| December 19, 1977 | 12 Nebraska | 21 | 17 | 49,456 | notes | ||
| December 23, 1978 | 18 Missouri | 20 | 15 | 53,064 | notes | ||
| December 22, 1979 | Penn State | 9 | 6 | 50,021 | notes | ||
| December 27, 1980 | 16 Purdue | 28 | 25 | 35,667 | notes | ||
| December 30, 1981 | 15 Ohio State | 31 | 28 | 43,216 | notes | ||
| December 29, 1982 | Alabama | 21 | 15 | 54,123 | notes | ||
| December 29, 1983 | Notre Dame | 19 | 18 | 47,071 | notes | ||
| December 27, 1984 | 16 Auburn | 21 | 15 | 50,180 | notes | ||
| December 27, 1985 | Baylor | 21 | 7 | 40,186 | notes | ||
| December 29, 1986 | Tennessee | 21 | 14 | 51,327 | notes | ||
| December 29, 1987 | 15 Georgia | 20 | 17 | 53,249 | notes | ||
| December 28, 1988 | Indiana | 34 | 10 | 39,210 | notes | ||
| December 29, 1989 | Ole Miss | 42 | 29 | 60,128 | notes | ||
| December 27, 1990 | Air Force | 23 | 11 | 39,262 | notes | ||
| December 29, 1991 | Air Force | 38 | 15 | 61,497 | notes | ||
| December 31, 1992 | 20 Ole Miss | 13 | 0 | 32,107 | notes | ||
| December 28, 1993 | 25 Louisville | 18 | 7 | 34,216 | notes | ||
| December 31, 1994 | Illinois | 30 | 0 | 33,280 | notes | ||
| December 30, 1995 | East Carolina | 19 | 13 | 47,398 | notes | ||
| December 27, 1996 | 23 Syracuse | 30 | 17 | 49,163 | notes | ||
| December 31, 1997 | Southern Miss | 41 | 7 | 50,209 | notes | ||
| December 31, 1998 | 10 Tulane | 41 | 27 | 52,192 | notes | ||
| December 31, 1999 | 16 Southern Miss | 23 | 17 | 54,866 | notes | ||
| December 29, 2000 | 23 Colorado State | 22 | 17 | 58,302 | notes | ||
| December 31, 2001 | 23 Louisville | 28 | 10 | 58,968 | notes | ||
| December 31, 2002 | TCU | 17 | 3 | 55,207 | notes | ||
| December 31, 2003 | 25 Utah | 17 | 0 | 55,989 | notes | ||
| December 31, 2004 | 7 Louisville | 44 | 40 | 58,355 | notes | ||
| December 31, 2005 | Tulsa | 31 | 24 | 54,894 | notes | ||
| December 29, 2006 | South Carolina | 44 | 36 | 56,103 | notes | ||
| December 29, 2007 | Mississippi State | 10 | UCF | 3 | 63,816 | notes | |
| January 2, 2009 | Kentucky | 25 | East Carolina | 19 | 56,125 | notes | |
| January 2, 2010 | Arkansas | 20 | East Carolina | 17 | 62,742 | notes | |
| December 31, 2010 | UCF | 10 | 6 | 51,231 | notes | ||
| December 31, 2011 | Cincinnati | 31 | 24 | 57,103 | notes | ||
| December 31, 2012 | Tulsa | 31 | 17 | 53,687 | notes | ||
| December 31, 2013 | Mississippi State | 44 | 7 | 57,846 | notes | ||
| December 29, 2014 | 45 | 37 | 51,282 | notes | |||
| January 2, 2016 | 45 | 23 | 61,136 | notes | |||
| December 30, 2016 | 31 | 23 | 51,087 | notes | |||
| December 30, 2017 | 21 | 20 | 57,266 | notes | |||
| December 31, 2018 | Oklahoma State | 38 | 33 | 51,587 | notes | ||
| December 31, 2019 | 21 Navy | 20 | 17 | 50,515 | notes | ||
| December 31, 2020 | West Virginia | 24 | 21 | 8,187 | notes | ||
| December 28, 2021 | Texas Tech | 34 | 7 | 48,615 | notes | ||
| December 28, 2022 | Arkansas | 55 | 53 | 52,847 | notes | ||
| December 29, 2023 | Memphis | 36 | 26 | 48,789 | notes | ||
The bowl has named a single MVP for each game, since inception. In nine instances, the MVP has played on the losing team, including four instances in a seven-game span during 1977–1983. The most recent MVP to play on the losing team was Kwame Ellis of Stanford in 1995. Quarterback Rob Perez of Air Force was named MVP twice, in 1990 and 1991.
| Game | MVP | Team | Position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Jay Huffman | C | ||
| 1960 | RB | |||
| 1961 | RB | |||
| 1962 | QB | |||
| 1963 | HB | |||
| 1964 | QB | |||
| 1965 | Tom Bryan | bgcolor=lightyellow | FB | |
| 1966 | Jimmy Cox | SE | ||
| 1967 | QB | |||
| 1968 | Steve Hindman | TB | ||
| 1969 | TB | |||
| 1970 | Dave Abercrombie | TB | ||
| 1971 | bgcolor=lightyellow | QB | ||
| 1972 | Jim Stevens | QB | ||
| 1973 | FB | |||
| 1974 | bgcolor=lightyellow | DT | ||
| 1975 | RB | |||
| 1976 | LB | |||
| 1977 | Matt Kupec | bgcolor=lightyellow | QB | |
| 1978 | RB | |||
| 1979 | Roch Hontas | bgcolor=lightyellow | QB | |
| 1980 | QB | |||
| 1981 | Eddie Myers | bgcolor=lightyellow | TB | |
| 1982 | DB | |||
| 1983 | bgcolor=lightyellow | QB | ||
| 1984 | RB | |||
| 1985 | QB | |||
| 1986 | Jeff Francis | QB | ||
| 1987 | Greg Thomas | bgcolor=lightyellow | QB | |
| 1988 | QB | |||
| 1989 | RB | |||
| 1990 | Rob Perez | QB | ||
| 1991 | Rob Perez | QB |
| Game | MVP | Team | Position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Cassius Ware | LB | ||
| 1993 | QB | |||
| 1994 | QB | |||
| 1995 | Kwame Ellis | bgcolor=lightyellow | CB | |
| 1996 | Malcolm Thomas | RB | ||
| 1997 | WR | |||
| 1998 | QB | |||
| 1999 | DE | |||
| 2000 | RB | |||
| 2001 | QB | |||
| 2002 | WR | |||
| 2003 | Morgan Scalley | DB | ||
| 2004 | QB | |||
| 2005 | QB | |||
| 2006 | QB | |||
| 2007 | FS | |||
| 2009 | Ventrell Jenkins | DT | ||
| 2010 (Jan) | QB | |||
| 2010 (Dec) | RB | |||
| 2011 | RB | |||
| 2012 | RB | |||
| 2013 | QB | |||
| 2014 | QB | |||
| 2016 (Jan) | RB | |||
| 2016 (Dec) | DT | |||
| 2017 | WR | |||
| 2018 | QB | |||
| 2019 | QB | |||
| 2020 | T. J. Simmons | WR | ||
| 2021 | Texas Tech | QB | ||
| 2022 | QB | |||
| 2023 | QB |
Updated through the December 2023 edition (65 games, 130 total appearances).
| Rank | Team | Games | W–L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 3–3 | ||
| 2 | 5 | 3–2 | ||
| T3 | 4 | 4–0 | ||
| T3 | 4 | 3–1 | ||
| T3 | 4 | 2–2 | ||
| T3 | 4 | 2–2 | ||
| T3 | 4 | 2–2 | ||
| T3 | 4 | 1–3 | ||
| T3 | 4 | 1–3 | ||
| T10 | 3 | 3–0 | ||
| T10 | 3 | 3–0 | ||
| T10 | 3 | 2–1 | ||
| T10 | 3 | 2–1 | ||
| T10 | 3 | 2–1 | ||
| T10 | 3 | 1–2 | ||
| T10 | 3 | 1–2 | ||
| T10 | 3 | 1–2 |
| Rank | Team | Games | W–L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T18 | 2 | 2–0 | ||
| T18 | 2 | 2–0 | ||
| T18 | 2 | 2–0 | ||
| T18 | 2 | 1–1 | ||
| T18 | 2 | 1–1 | ||
| T18 | 2 | 1–1 | ||
| T18 | 2 | 1–1 | ||
| T18 | 2 | 1–1 | ||
| T18 | 2 | 1–1 | ||
| T18 | 2 | 1–1 | ||
| T18 | 2 | 1–1 | ||
| T18 | 2 | 1–1 | ||
| T18 | 2 | 1–1 | ||
| T18 | 2 | 1–1 | ||
| T18 | 2 | 0–2 | ||
| T18 | 2 | 0–2 | ||
| T18 | 2 | 0–2 | ||
| T18 | 2 | 0–2 | ||
| T18 | 2 | 0–2 | ||
| T18 | 2 | 0–2 |
Source:[13]
Updated through the December 2023 edition (65 games, 130 total appearances).
| Conference | Record | Appearances by season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | W | L | Win pct. | Won | Lost | |
| 32 | 1963, 1965, 1968, 1971, 1974, 1976, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1992, 2006, 2007, 2008*, 2009*, 2013, 2014, 2015*, 2016, 2022 | 1959, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1978, 1985, 1991, 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 | ||||
| 22 | 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1983, 1993, 1995 | 1960, 1961, 1962, 1966, 1968, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1988, 1994, 2020 | ||||
| 17 | 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2012 | 1996, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008*, 2009*, 2013 | ||||
| 11 | 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021 | 2012, 2014, 2015*, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2023 | ||||
| 8 | 1980, 1981, 1988, 1994 | 1982, 1986, 1990, 1993 | ||||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | WAC | 8 | 1964, 1990, 1991 | 1989, 1992, 1998, 2004, 2005 | ||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Big Eight | 7 | 1969, 1977, 1978 | 1970, 1972, 1973, 1980 | ||
| 6 | 1996, 2011, 2019, 2023 | 1997, 2017 | ||||
| 5 | 1967, 1973 | 1963, 1974, 1977 | ||||
| 5 | 2000, 2003 | 1999, 2001, 2002 | ||||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | SWC | 5 | 1985 | 1971, 1975, 1984, 1987 | ||
| 3 | 1975 | 1976, 1995 | ||||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | SoCon | 1 | 1964 |
, every SEC member except Florida has played in the game. Every current, former or future Big 12 member except Oklahoma and Texas have played in the game. A majority of teams that are members of the Power Five conferences have appeared in the game.
| Team | Record, Team vs. Opponent | Game | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most points scored (one team) | 55, Arkansas vs. Kansas | 2022 | |
| Most points scored (losing team) | 53, Kansas vs. Arkansas | 2022 | |
| Most points scored (both teams) | 108, Arkansas vs. Kansas | 2022 | |
| Fewest points allowed | 0, most recent: Utah vs. Southern Miss | 2003 | |
| Largest margin of victory | 37, Mississippi State vs. Rice | 2013 | |
| Total yards | 681, Arkansas vs. Kansas | 2022 | |
| Rushing yards | 473, Colorado vs. Alabama | 1969 | |
| Passing yards | 544, Kansas vs. Arkansas | 2022 | |
| First downs | 30, shared by: Ole Miss vs. Air Force Arkansas vs. Kansas State Kansas vs. Arkansas | 1989 2015 2022 | |
| Fewest yards allowed | |||
| Fewest rushing yards allowed | –8, Penn State vs. Tulane | 1979 | |
| Fewest passing yards allowed | 2, Ole Miss vs. Virginia Tech | 1968 | |
| Individual | Record, Player, Team | Game | |
| All-purpose yards | 279, Vincent Marshall (Houston) | 2006 | |
| Touchdowns (all-purpose) | |||
| Rushing yards | 254, Bob Anderson (Colorado) | 1969 | |
| Rushing touchdowns | 3, most recent: Tyhier Tyler,[14] (Army) | 2020 | |
| Passing yards | 544, Jalon Daniels (Kansas) | 2022 | |
| Passing touchdowns | 5, Jalon Daniels (Kansas) | 2022 | |
| Receiving yards | 220, Jameon Lewis (Mississippi State) | 2013 | |
| Receiving touchdowns | 3, Sherrod Gideon (Southern Miss) | 1997 | |
| Tackles, total | 19, shared by: George Andrews (Nebraska) A. J. Klein (Iowa State) | 1977 2012 | |
| Tackles, solo | 12, Randy White (Maryland) | 1974 | |
| Sacks | 3, Trenton Thompson (Georgia) | 2016 (Dec) | |
| Interceptions | 3, shared by: Louis Campbell (Arkansas) Jeremiah Castille (Alabama) | 1971 1982 | |
| Long Plays | Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent | Game | |
| Touchdown run | 99 yds., Terry Baker (Oregon State) | 1962 | |
| Touchdown pass | 89 yds., Pete Gonzalez to Jake Hoffart (Pittsburgh) | 1997 | |
| Kickoff return | 99 yds., David Jones (Kentucky) | 2008 | |
| Punt return | 79 yds., Norman Jefferson (LSU) | 1985 | |
| Interception return | 92 yds., Andy Avalos (Boise State) | 2004 | |
| Fumble return | 74 yds., Morgan Scalley (Utah) | 2003 | |
| Punt | 73 yds., Joey Huber (Colorado State) | 2000 | |
| Field goal | 49 yds., Tanner Gillis (Memphis) | 2023 |
The earliest editions of the bowl were broadcast by NBC (1959–1963) and ABC (1964–1980). Several different networks carried the 1981 through 1989 games, including USA Network, Katz Broadcasting,[15] and Raycom.[16] Since 1990, the game has been broadcast predominantly by ESPN, with some editions on ABC.[17]