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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Illinois football has arrived in Nashville, Tennessee, for the 2025 Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl, its third bowl appearance in the last four years. The Fighting Illini will have four days in Nashville to complete preparations for their matchup against the Tennessee Volunteers, which is slated for Tuesday, Dec. 30, at 4:30 p.m. CT, inside Nissan Stadium.
Illinois (8-4, 5-4 Big Ten) and Tennessee (8-4, 4-4 SEC) will face off on the football field for the first time in program history. The Fighting Illini closed the regular season with a 20-13 rivalry victory over Northwestern and are now looking for win #9, which would give the program back-to-back seasons with 9+ victories for the first time ever.
Tennessee is seeking its fourth straight nine-win season. The Volunteers won three of their last five games, defeating Florida, New Mexico State and Kentucky, but falling in a pair of ranked matchups to #18 Oklahoma and #14 Vanderbilt.
Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (analyst), and Cole Cubelic (reporter) will have the call on ESPN. The Busey Bank Illini Sports Network has the radio call with Brian Barnhart (play-by-play), Carey Davis (analyst), and Michael Martin (sideline).
For more information about Illinois’ trip to the 2025 Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl, visit FightingIllini.com/2025MusicCityBowl.
Notes
Illinois Set for Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl
• Illinois will play in the Music City Bowl for the first time in program history.
• Illinois will play Tennessee for the first time in program history.
• Illinois is back in a bowl game in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2010-11.
• Illinois head coach Bret Bielema will tie the Illini program record for bowl games coached with his third. Bielema is looking to tie the program record for bowl wins (2), while also trying to become the first coach in program history to win a bowl game in back-to-back seasons.
• Illinois is bowl eligible three times in a four-year span for the first time since 1991-94.
Stacking Wins
• Illinois tied the program record for wins during a two-year period with its 18th victory between the 2024 and 2025 seasons. It is the fourth time Illinois has won 18 games over a two-year period, joining 1901-02, 1902-03, and 1989-90.
• A win in Nashville would give Illinois its most wins over a two-year period in program history (19).
• Illinois has 8+ wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1989-90. The Illini have a chance to win 9+ games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history.
• Bret Bielema is the first head coach in Illinois history to win 8+ games three times.
• Illinois has 8+ wins three times in a four-year span for the first time since winning 8+ games in four straight years from 1901-04.
• The last time Illinois won 8+ games three times in a four-year span (1901-04), the program’s 1904 season was coached by a group of four alumni: Justa Lindgren, Arthur Hall, Fred Lowenthal, and Clyde Mathews.
• Bret Bielema set the program record for wins in a head coach’s first five seasons. Bielema has won 36 games at Illinois, passing Mike White’s 34 wins from 1980-84.
• Illinois set the program record for the most wins at Gies Memorial Stadium over a two-year period (12). The Illini are 12-2 at home over the last two years.
• Illinois won 23 Big Ten games in Bret Bielema‘s first five seasons at Illinois. It is Illinois’ most Big Ten wins in a five-year period since also winning 23 Big Ten games from 1990-94.
• Illinois is 18-7 over the last two seasons, including 14 Power-4 wins, 11 Big Ten wins, and wins over teams from every other Power-4 conference: the SEC (vs. South Carolina, 2024), the ACC (at Duke, 2025), and the Big XII (Kansas, 2024).
• Illinois is 13-3 against unranked teams over the last two seasons (2024-25).
• Illinois is 7-0 against nonconference opponents over the last two seasons (2024-25). The Illini have won eight straight nonconference games dating back to 2023.
• Illinois has 31 wins over the last four seasons, tied for its most wins over a four-year period since winning 32 games from 1902-05.
• Illinois has 36 wins over the last five seasons, tied for its most wins over a five-year period since winning 37 games from 1981-85.
The Illinois Offense
• The Illinois offense has improved every year since offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr.‘s arrival. The Illini averaged 24.2 points per game in Lunney’s first year in 2022, followed by 24.5 in 2023, 28.3 in 2024, and now 29.3 in 2025.
• QB Luke Altmyer ranked among the best QBs in the nation in four major passing categories during the regular season: completion percentage (68.1, 18th), passing efficiency (157.1, 20th), passing yards (2,811, 31st), and touchdown passes (21, 29th).
• Altmyer has led Illinois on six game-winning drives in the final minute/OT from 2023-25, the most of any QB in the nation.
• Hank Beatty is the only player in the nation with a passing, rushing, receiving, and punt return touchdown this season.
• Beatty ranked in the Big Ten’s top four in receptions (3rd, 64) and receiving yards (4th, 826) during the regular season.
• Altmyer is looking to join Nathan Scheelhaase as the only starting quarterbacks in Illinois history to win two bowl games. Scheelhaase led Illinois to bowl game victories at the 2010 Texas Bowl (W, 38-14 vs. Baylor) and the 2011 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl (W, 20-14 vs. UCLA).
• Altmyer’s 64.5% (612/949) career completion percentage at Illinois is currently the best in program history.
• Altmyer is the first quarterback in program history to throw 20+ touchdowns in back-to-back seasons.
• Altmyer has led Illinois to a 22-12 record as the team’s starting QB, the third-most QB wins in program history.
The Illinois Defense
• Illinois tied with USC for the Big Ten lead in forced fumbles (11) during the regular season and ranked 20th in the nation.
• Illinois led he Big Ten in fumbles recovered (9) during the regular season and ranked 13th in the nation.
• Gabe Jacas, who will not play in the bowl game, led the Big Ten in sacks during the regular season (11.0) and ranked sixth in the nation.
• Jacas ranks second in Illinois history in career sacks with 27.0. The Illinois career record of 44.5 is held by All-American Simeon Rice, who played for the Illini from 1992-95. Rice has held the Big Ten sacks record for 30 years.
• Jacas’ 27.0 career sacks is the most among active Big Ten players and the third most among all active FBS players.
• DB Xavier Scott, a Thorpe Award semifinalist last season, had surgery Sept. 24 and is out indefinitely.
The Illinois Special Teams
• Hank Beatty is 16th in the nation and fourth in the Big Ten in punt return yards (213) while averaging 16.4 yards per punt return.
• David Olano hit 12 straight field goals between the Western Illinois and Rutgers games, tied for the second-longest streak in Illinois history behind only Mike Bass’ 13 straight in 1982.
• Olano is 26th in the nation in kickoff touchback percentage (51/67, 76.1%).
• Keelan Crimmins is averaging 44.0 yards per punt (35 punts for 1,539 yards), which would rank sixth-best in a single season in Illinois history.
The Bielema Era
• Bret Bielema is 36-26 during his Illinois career. His .581 winning percentage is the second-best in Illinois history among head coaches that have coached at least 50 games for the Fighting Illini.
• Bielema has 23 Big Ten wins in his first five seasons at Illinois. It is Illinois’ most Big Ten wins in a five-year stretch since also winning 23 Big Ten games from 1990-94.
• Bielema has seven ranked wins as Illinois head coach, the third-most in program history.
• Bielema is the first head coach in Illinois history to win 5+ games in each of his first five seasons in Champaign.
• Bielema’s four road/neutral ranked wins (AP/Coaches/CFP) are the most of any coach in Illini history during his first four seasons in Champaign (2021 Penn State, 2021 Minnesota, 2024 Nebraska, 2024 South Carolina).
• Bielema has won at least eight games in two of his first four seasons at Illinois, becoming the first Illini head coach since John Mackovic (1988-91) to reach eight wins twice in his first four seasons in Champaign.
• Bielema’s 11 Big Ten road wins are tied with Mike White for the most ever by an Illinois head coach during his first five seasons.
• Bielema will tie the Illinois record for most bowls coached during this year’s Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl (3).