ANNAPOLIS, Md.—The AutoZone Liberty Bowl announced today that the #22 / #25 Navy Midshipmen (9-2) and the Cincinnati Bearcats (7-5) have accepted invitations to play in the 67^th AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Friday, Jan. 2 at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (capacity approximately 44,000 during renovations) in Memphis, Tenn.  Kickoff is set for 4:30 PM (ET), 3:30 PM local time and the game will be televised by ESPN and broadcast on the Navy Radio Network.
 
"Our players are extremely excited to be invited to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl and to have the opportunity to play a Cincinnati team that we used to do battle with every year in the American Conference," said Navy head football coach Brian Newberry.  "Going to a bowl game is always one of our top goals, but right now our only focus is to get goal No. 1 and that is to BEAT ARMY and keep the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy in Annapolis."
 
The AutoZone Liberty Bowl Football Classic is the seventh-oldest college bowl game and is one of the most tradition-rich and patriotic bowl games in America. The AutoZone Liberty Bowl was founded in Philadelphia in 1959 and the inaugural game featured a match-up between Penn State and Alabama. That game began a tradition of great stars, exciting football and was the first of 66 thrilling chapters in the history of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl Football Classic. The AutoZone Liberty Bowl has enjoyed many highlights through the years. The Bowl has hosted all-time great coaches such as Paul "Bear" Bryant, Lou Holtz, Tom Osborne, Steve Spurrier and Bill Snyder. The Bowl's history also includes four Heisman Trophy winners (Ernie Davis, Terry Baker, Doug Flutie and Bo Jackson) and other stars such as Archie Manning and Donovan McNabb.
 
This marks Navy's 26^th bowl appearance (13-11-1 all-time) and the third time Navy has appeared in the Liberty Bowl.  The Mids defeated Kansas State 20-17 in the 2019 Liberty Bowl and lost to Ohio State 31-28 in 1981.  Overall, the Mids have won three-straight bowl games and six of the last seven. Last year, the Mids shocked Oklahoma 21-20 in the Armed Forces Bowl.
 
Navy is 2-4 all-time in bowl games against the teams that currently make up the Big 12.  The Mids beat BYU 23-16 in the inaugural Holiday Bowl in 1978, lost to Houston 35-0 in the 1980 Garden State Bowl, lost to Texas Tech 38-14 in the 2003 Houston Bowl, lost to Utah 35-32 in the 2007 Poinsettia Bowl, lost to Arizona State 62-28 in the 2012 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl and beat Kansas State in the 2019 Liberty Bowl.
 
This will be the seventh meeting between Navy and Cincinnati with both teams winning three times.  The last meeting was in 2022 with the Bearcats winning 20-10 in Cincinnati. Cincinnati currently owns a three-game winning streak against Navy.  Navy's last win came in 2017, knocking off the Bearcats 42-32 in Annapolis.
 
This will be the Bearcats' 22^nd Bowl game and first since 2022 when they lost to Louisville 24-7 in the Fenway Bowl. Cincinnati's last bowl win was a 38-6 win over Boston College in the 2020 Birmingham Bowl.  This will be the Bearcats' second trip to the Liberty Bowl. They defeated Vanderbilt 31-24 in the 2011 game.
 
Cincinnati owns wins over Bowling Green, Northwestern State, Kansas, Iowa State, UCF, Oklahoma State and Baylor.  The Bearcats have lost to Nebraska, Utah, Arizona, BYU and TCU.
 
Navy fans can purchase tickets to attend the Liberty Bowl right now at: https://navysports.evenue.net/events/BOWL

Ticket prices are $80, $90, $110 and $130. The only way to sit with the Navy contingent is to buy your tickets through the Navy ticket office.  Ticket donations to send midshipmen to the game are $80.
 
Additionally, there will be a Brigade of Midshipmen pregame tailgate located at the Pipkin & Creative Arts Building located adjacent to the stadium. The Brigade of Midshipmen tailgate is proudly presented to you by the Naval Academy Business Services Division in partnership with Navy Athletics, Navy Mutual Aid Association and Navy Federal Credit Union.  Join Naval Academy leadership, the cheer team, two-legged Bill the Goat and the Drum and Bugle Corps along with midshipmen, Navy alumni, parents and fans to cheer Navy on to victory.  The price is $75 per adult and $50 for those ages 12 and under.  Fans can purchase tickets to the tailgate at the same ticket link above. The pregame tailgate is hosted and funded by the Naval Academy Business Services Division in partnership with the Naval Academy Athletics Association.
 
Navy and Army (6-5) will meet in the 126^th Army-Navy Game presented by USAA on Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.  The game will be televised nationally by CBS and on radio by Westwood One and the Navy Radio Network. Kickoff is set for 3 PM.