For the first time in its 50-year history, the AutoZone Liberty Bowl has secured a prestigious January playing date. The 50th annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl will be played Friday, January 2, 2009 at 4 p.m. CST at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis.

Friday, January 2nd will be a blockbuster day for college football, with a colossal triple-header of bowl games. The AT&T Cotton Bowl leads off the day at 1 p.m. The AutoZone Liberty Bowl will kickoff at 4 p.m., followed by the BCS Allstate Sugar Bowl at 7:20 p.m.

The 50th AutoZone Liberty Bowl will feature a match-up of teams from Conference USA and the SEC. The game will be televised nationally and internationally on ESPN and broadcast on radio by ESPN Radio.

“The January 2nd date adds to the national prominence of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl as we celebrate the Bowl’s 50th Anniversary,” said Steve Ehrhart, AutoZone Liberty Bowl Executive Director. “We’re thrilled to be able to showcase two great teams, the city of Memphis and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on January 2nd.”

“We look forward to celebrating 50 years of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl with SEC and Conference USA fans in Memphis and a nationwide audience on ESPN,” said Kurt Dargis, Senior Manager, Programming & Acquisitions for ESPN.

Last year’s game attracted an all-time record crowd of 63,816 as Mississippi State defeated UCF 10-3. The AutoZone Liberty Bowl was one of ESPN’s highest rated games of the 2007-08 bowl season.

Tickets to the 50th AutoZone Liberty Bowl are on sale now.
For ticket information, call the AutoZone Liberty Bowl at (901) 795-7700 or visit www.AutoZoneLibertyBowl.org.