Navy, ranked # 22 in the Associated Press Poll, will be making its third appearance in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. The Midshipmen’s previous trips to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl were in 1981 and 2019, a 20-17 win over Kansas State.
Cincinnati will be playing in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl for the second time. The Bearcats’ first game was in 2011, a 31-24 win over Vanderbilt.
Navy concludes its regular season on Saturday vs. Army. The Midshipmen have an overall record of 9-2, 7-1 in The American. Cincinnati finished the regular season with a record of 7-5, 5-4 in the Big 12. The all-time series between Navy and Cincinnati is tied 3-3.
“The AutoZone Liberty Bowl is thrilled to welcome both the United States Naval Academy and Cincinnati to our bowl game,” said AutoZone Liberty Bowl Executive Director Steve Ehrhart. “Navy has a chance to win 10 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in history and has a national following. Cincinnati had a winning record in the Big 12 Conference and is making its first trip to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl since 2011, when the Bearcats brought thousands of fans. We look forward to both teams, their alumni and fans celebrating the New Year’s holiday with us.”
For event and game tickets, call the AutoZone Liberty Bowl at (901) 795-7700 or online at www.AutoZoneLibertyBowl.org.
Multi-Platinum Country music artist Matt Stell has been selected to receive the 2025 AutoZone Liberty Bowl Outstanding Achievement Award. Each year, this award is presented by the AutoZone Liberty Bowl and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in recognition of excellence in the field of music and entertainment. This time-honored recognition dates back to the early years of St. Jude and its founder, entertainer Danny Thomas.
Stell will receive the award and perform at the President’s Gala on January 1, 2026 at The Peabody. He will also perform at halftime of the 67th AutoZone Liberty Bowl game on January 2, 2026.
Stell has quickly made his mark on Country music as one of only nine artists in the past six years to have consecutive #1s with two back-to-back chart-toppers: 2-Time Platinum song “Prayed For You” and Platinum hit “Everywhere But On”.
Stell’s debut album, Born Lonely, features the Top 20 hit Country radio single, “Breakin’ In Boots”. He has amassed over half a billion global career streams and is the first-ever artist to receive a virtual plaque from the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for multi-week hit “Prayed For You”. Stell is also an ASCAP Pop and Country most-performed song awards winner.
Stell is a generous and enthusiastic supporter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through his charitable foundation, which he started in 2020.
Previous honorees include Alabama, B.B. King, Lou Rawls, Clint Black, The Beach Boys, Leann Rimes, KC & The Sunshine Band, The Temptations, Big & Rich, Scotty McCreery and The Commodores.
For tickets to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl President’s Gala or the AutoZone Liberty Bowl Football Classic, call the AutoZone Liberty Bowl at (901) 795-7700 or click HERE to buy tickets online:
