Mississippi State Football to Face Illinois in ReliaQuest Bowl

The Bulldogs and Fighting Illini will meet in Tampa on January 2nd.

It's official: Mississippi State will be taking its talents to Tampa this offseason. 

MSU will face Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl, according to Brett McMurphy of Action Network. This is the second time that the SEC and Big Ten programs have met and the first time since 1980. 

Illinois vs. Mississippi State in ReliaQuest Bowl, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ

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The Bulldogs are going bowling for the 13th consecutive season after finishing the regular season with an 8-4 record, including 4-4 in conference action. Head coach Mike Leach is in his third postseason at MSU and has a 1-1 record in bowl games with the program. The Bulldogs defeated Tulsa in the Armed Forces Bowl in 2020 and fell to Texas Tech in the 2021 Liberty Bowl. 

The Fighting Illini finished 8-4 on the year with a 5-4 conference record that landed them in second place in the Big 10 West. This is the first time that Illinois has played in the postseason since 2019 when the program fell to California in the Redbox Bowl. 

Both Mississippi State and Illinois will spend the next few weeks preparing for the matchup. No matter how the final game ends, the Bulldogs will have the benefit of spending a few extra weeks practicing and improving as a team, which can help them heading into the 2023 season. 

Kickoff for the game is set for 11 a.m. CT on Jan. 2nd at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.