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{{For|the stadium previously known as Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium and where the game is held|Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium}}
{{short description|Annual American college football postseason game}}
{{Infobox college football bowl game
| name               = Liberty Bowl
| full_name          = [[AutoZone]] Liberty Bowl
| nickname           =
| defunct            =
| logo               = AutoZone Liberty Bowl logo.svg
| caption            =
| stadium            = [[Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium]]
| previous_stadiums  = [[John F. Kennedy Stadium|Philadelphia Municipal Stadium]] (1959–1963)<br/>[[Boardwalk Hall|Convention Hall]] (1964)
| location           = [[Memphis, Tennessee]]
| previous_locations = [[Philadelphia]] (1959–1963)<br/>[[Atlantic City, New Jersey]] (1964)
| years              = 1959–present
| previous_tie-ins   = [[Conference USA|C-USA]] (1996–2013)<br/>[[Mountain West Conference|MWC]] (1998–2005)<br/>winner of the [[Commander in Chief's Trophy]] (1989–1992)
| conference_tie-ins = [[Big 12]] #4 Pick<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/9594766/liberty-bowl-announces-six-year-deal-big-12 |title=Liberty Bowl teams with Big 12 |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=August 23, 2013 |website=[[ESPN.com]]}}</ref> vs [[Southeastern Conference|SEC]] Pool Pick<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.libertybowl.org/component/content/article/51|title=AutoZone Liberty Bowl|last=libertydev|website=www.libertybowl.org|access-date=31 December 2017}}</ref><br/>[[American Athletic Conference|The American]] (alternate)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theamerican.org/news/2013/12/5/FB_1205134743.aspx|title=American Athletic Conference - American Athletic Conference Announces 2014-19 Bowl Lineup|website=theamerican.org|access-date=31 December 2017}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|https://www.libertybowl.org/|libertybowl.org}}
| payout             = 6 million (2022)
| sponsors           = [[St. Jude Children's Research Hospital|St. Jude]] (1993–1996)<br/>[[AXA|AXA Financial]] (1997–2003)<br/>[[AutoZone]] (2004–present)
| former_names       = Liberty Bowl (1959–1992)<br/>St. Jude Liberty Bowl (1993–1996)<br/>AXA Liberty Bowl (1997–2003)
| prev_matchup_year  = 2023
| prev_matchup_season= 2023
| prev_matchup_teams = [[2023 Memphis Tigers football team|Memphis]] vs [[2023 Iowa State Cyclones football team|Iowa State]]
| prev_matchup_score = Memphis 36–26
| next_matchup_year  = 2024
| next_matchup_season= 2024
| next_matchup_teams = [[2024 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team|Texas Tech]] vs. [[2024 Arkansas Razorbacks football team|Arkansas]]
| next_matchup_date  = Arkansas 39–26
}}

The '''Liberty Bowl''' is an annual American [[college football]] [[bowl game]] played in late December or early January since 1959. For its first five years, it was played at [[John F. Kennedy Stadium|Philadelphia Municipal Stadium]] in [[Philadelphia]] before being held at [[Boardwalk Hall|Atlantic City Convention Hall]] in 1964. Since 1965, the game has been held at [[Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium]] in [[Memphis, Tennessee]]. Because of the scheduling of the bowl game near the end of the calendar year, no game was played during calendar years 2008 or 2015, while two games were played in calendar years 2010 and 2016.

Since 2004, the game has been sponsored by Memphis-based auto parts retailer [[AutoZone]] and officially known as the ''AutoZone Liberty Bowl''. Previous sponsors include [[St. Jude Children's Research Hospital]] (1993–1996) and [[AXA|AXA Financial]] (1997–2003).

==History==
[[File:Uom stadium.JPG|thumb|right|[[Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium]], home of the Liberty Bowl since the 1965 edition]]
A. F. "Bud" Dudley, a former [[Villanova University|Villanova]] [[athletic director]], created the Liberty Bowl in Philadelphia in 1959. The game was played at [[John F. Kennedy Stadium|Philadelphia's Municipal Stadium]]. It was the only cold-weather bowl game of its time, and was plagued by poor attendance. The first game was the most successful of the five held in Philadelphia, as 38,000 fans watched [[1959 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State]] beat [[1959 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama]], 7–0, in the bowl's [[1959 Liberty Bowl|inaugural edition]].

A group of [[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]] businessmen convinced Dudley to move his game from Philadelphia to Atlantic City's [[Boardwalk Hall|Convention Hall]] for 1964 and guaranteed Dudley $25,000.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mazda|first1=Jason|title=50 years ago, indoor college football debuted in Atlantic City|url=http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/college/years-ago-indoor-college-football-debuted-in-atlantic-city/article_1c14baf6-aed0-5baa-9101-c0964cb4eb51.html|work=Press of Atlantic City|date=Dec 31, 2014}}</ref> It would be the first major (University Division, now [[NCAA Division I|Division I]]) bowl game played indoors. [[AstroTurf]] was still in its developmental stages and was unavailable for the game. Convention Hall was equipped with a {{convert|4|in|mm|adj=mid|-thick}} grass surface with {{convert|2|in|mm}} of burlap underneath it (as padding) on top of concrete. To keep the grass growing, artificial lighting was installed and kept on 24 hours a day. The entire process cost about $16,000. [[End zone]]s were only 8 yards long, rather than the regulation 10 yards. 6,059 fans saw [[Utah Utes football|Utah]] rout [[West Virginia Mountaineers football|West Virginia]], 32–6. Dudley was paid $25,000 from Atlantic City businessmen, $60,000 from the gate, and $95,000 from television revenues, and cleared $10,000 net profit.<ref name=Antonick>{{cite news| first=John| last=Antonick| title=Unique Game| date=2005-06-22| publisher=MSNsportsNET.com| url=http://www.msnsportsnet.com/page.cfm?section=8032| work=West Virginia Mountaineers| access-date=2009-04-26| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526231839/http://www.msnsportsnet.com/page.cfm?section=8032| archive-date=2011-05-26}}</ref>

In 1965, Dudley moved the game to [[Memphis, Tennessee]], where it made its home at Memphis Memorial Stadium to much larger crowds; the venue was renamed as [[Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium]] in December 1975.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42280736/memphis_stadium_named_liberty_bowl/ |title=Memphis stadium named Liberty Bowl |agency=[[United Press International|UPI]] |newspaper=[[The Greenwood Commonwealth]] |location=[[Greenwood, Mississippi]] |page=7 |date=December 17, 1975 |access-date=January 14, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Having been played every college football season since 1959, the game has established itself as one of the oldest non-[[New Year's Six]] bowls.

==Matchup==
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Liberty Bowl offered an automatic invitation to the winner of the [[Commander-in-Chief's Trophy]], if that team was [[Bowl eligibility|bowl eligible]].<ref>{{cite news | first=Jack| last=Cavanaugh| title=COLLEGE FOOTBALL; Boston College Surprises Army| date=1989-11-12 | newspaper=New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/12/sports/college-football-boston-college-surprises-army.html| access-date = 2009-05-04 }}</ref> Due to the limited success of [[United States service academies|service academy]] football during this era, the only academy to appear in the Liberty Bowl as a result of this arrangement was [[United States Air Force Academy|Air Force]], which appeared in four consecutive games, 1989–1992.

Beginning in 1996, the Liberty Bowl began an affiliation with the newly launched [[Conference USA]] (C-USA), offering its champion an automatic bid. Beginning in 2005, the winner of C-USA was determined by the newly created [[Conference USA Football Championship|C-USA championship game]]. The winner of that game was customarily offered the bowl berth from 2005 to 2013.

In 1996 and 1997, the opponent for the C-USA champion was a team from the [[Big East Conference (1979–2013)|Big East]]. In 1998, the Liberty Bowl replaced the [[Holiday Bowl]] in a shared contract with the [[Cotton Bowl Classic|Cotton Bowl]] and had second choice between the [[Western Athletic Conference|WAC]] champion and a team from the [[Southeastern Conference|SEC]]. From 1999 to 2005, the opponent for the C-USA champion was the [[Mountain West Conference|Mountain West]] champion. There were two exceptions:
*2004: Mountain West champion [[2004 Utah Utes football team|Utah]] qualified for the [[Bowl Championship Series|BCS]]. In their place, the Liberty Bowl chose [[Western Athletic Conference|WAC]] champion [[2004 Boise State Broncos football team|Boise State]].
*2005: Mountain West champion [[2005 TCU Horned Frogs football team|TCU]] chose to play in the [[2005 Houston Bowl]]. At-large WAC team [[2005 Fresno State Bulldogs football team|Fresno State]] took their place.

In 1999, the Mountain West Conference did not have an outright champion, as three teams tied for the conference lead. The conference's bid for the game was given to [[1999 Colorado State Rams football team|Colorado State]].

The bowl's contract from 2006 until 2013 pitted the winner of the C-USA championship game against the eighth pick from the SEC. [[American Athletic Conference|The American]] was to provide its fifth-place team as an alternate if the SEC could not provide a team. The SEC was also given veto power for the bowl, and elected to use it in 2011 to block C-USA champion [[2011 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team|Southern Miss]] from playing [[2011 Vanderbilt Commodores football team|Vanderbilt]]; instead, [[2011 Cincinnati Bearcats football team|Cincinnati]] got the spot and Southern Miss accepted an invitation to the [[2011 Hawaii Bowl]] instead.<ref>[http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_college_ucf/2011/12/blame-sec-for-the-liberty-bowl-spurning-conference-usa.html UCF Knights news, scores & more for the University of Central Florida - Orlando Sentinel<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111207072229/http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_college_ucf/2011/12/blame-sec-for-the-liberty-bowl-spurning-conference-usa.html |date=2011-12-07 }}</ref><ref name="BigEastCriteria">{{cite web|url=http://silversdailydish.blogspot.com/2010/04/biw-east-bowl-lineup-complete.html|title=JSilver's UConn blog: Big East Bowl lineup complete|last=John|date=27 April 2010|access-date=31 December 2017}}</ref>

Since 2014, the matchup features a team from the SEC against the fourth pick from the [[Big 12 Conference]]. The Liberty Bowl is part of a six-bowl SEC pool arrangement that also involves the [[Duke's Mayo Bowl|Duke's Mayo]] (formerly Belk) in odd-numbered years or the [[Las Vegas Bowl|Las Vegas]] in even-numbered years, [[Music City Bowl|Music City]], [[ReliaQuest Bowl|ReliaQuest]], [[Gator Bowl|Gator]], and [[Texas Bowl|Texas]] bowls; these bowls will choose one representative from the conference each, while the [[College Football Playoff]] receiving first choice (usually the [[Sugar Bowl]] in years it does not serve as a national semifinal) and the [[Citrus Bowl]] second choice.

The game is televised nationally on [[ESPN]], and is carried nationwide by [[ESPN Radio]], and internationally by [[ESPN International]].

===Recent matchups of note===
The 2010 win by [[2010 UCF Knights football team|UCF]] was the program's first-ever bowl victory.

The 2011 game matched Coaches' Poll 24th-ranked [[2011 Cincinnati Bearcats football team|Cincinnati]] against upstart [[2011 Vanderbilt Commodores football team|Vanderbilt]], and unlike most lower tier bowls, it aired on the broadcast network [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] rather than its cable brethren [[ESPN]]. Cincinnati defeated Vanderbilt in a second-half comeback.

The 2012 Liberty Bowl featured an unusual rematch of a regular season game between the [[2012 Iowa State Cyclones football team|Iowa State Cyclones]] (9th place in the [[Big 12 Conference|Big 12]]) and the [[2012 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team|Tulsa Golden Hurricane]] (C-USA champions).<ref name="ESPN2012">{{cite web
 | last = Chatmon | first = Brandon | title = AutoZone Liberty Bowl | work = [[ESPN.com]] | date = 2012-12-02 | url =https://www.espn.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/60795/autozone-liberty-bowl
 | access-date = 2012-12-02}}</ref> Iowa State had defeated Tulsa, 38–23, in the season's first weekend, however Tulsa defeated Iowa State, 31–17, in the Liberty Bowl.<ref name="ESPN2012" /> Though the bowl normally selects a team from the SEC, it invited Iowa State because the SEC did not have enough bowl-eligible teams to fill all of its contracted bowl games.<ref>{{cite web | last =Higgins | first =Ron | title =Tulsa, Iowa State land in Liberty Bowl; Rebels to Birmingham | work = [[The Commercial Appeal]] | date =2012-12-02 | url =http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/dec/02/tulsa-play-iowa-state-liberty-bowl/ | access-date = 2012-12-02}}</ref>

In 2020, after a matchup of [[2020 West Virginia Mountaineers football team|West Virginia]] and [[2020 Tennessee Volunteers football team|Tennessee]] was announced on December 20, the Tennessee program had to withdraw on December 21 due to positive [[COVID-19 pandemic|COVID-19]] testing.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://utsports.com/news/2020/12/21/tennessee-football-pauses-team-activities.aspx |title=Tennessee Football Pauses Team Activities, Completes 2020 Season |website=utsports.com |date=December 21, 2020 |access-date=December 21, 2020}}</ref> [[2020 Army Black Knights football team|Army]], who had accepted an invitation to the [[Independence Bowl]] before it was cancelled due to a lack of available teams, was named as their replacement.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30576532/army-face-west-virginia-liberty-bowl-replacing-tennessee |title=Army to face West Virginia in Liberty Bowl, replacing Tennessee |first=Alex |last=Scarborough |website=ESPN.com |date=December 21, 2020 |access-date=December 21, 2020}}</ref>

In the 2022 matchup, [[2022 Kansas Jayhawks football team|Kansas]] made their first bowl game appearance in 14 years, against [[2022 Arkansas Razorbacks football team|Arkansas]]. The Razorbacks took an early 38–13 lead in the game. The Jayhawks then scored 25 unanswered points to send the game into overtime. The teams traded touchdowns in the first and second overtime. In the third overtime, with teams alternating two-point conversion attempts per NCAA overtime rules, the Razorbacks scored on their attempt and stopped the Jayhawks' attempt, resulting in a 55–53 Arkansas win. Kansas quarterback [[Jalon Daniels]] set a Kansas single-game record and a Liberty Bowl record for passing yards, with 544.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jalon Daniels delivers historic, record-setting performance in Liberty Bowl |url=https://247sports.com/college/kansas/Article/Jalon-Daniels-Kansas-quarterback-historic-Liberty-Bowl-per-201548306/ |website=247sports.com |first=Nathan |last=Swaffar |date=December 29, 2022 |accessdate=December 29, 2022}}</ref>

==Game results==
[[File:Liberty-bowl-2004.JPG|thumb|right|upright=1.2|Boise State and Louisville square off in the [[2004 Liberty Bowl]] in Memphis, Tennessee.]]
The first five editions (1959–1963) were played in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]]. The 1964 game was played in [[Atlantic City, New Jersey]]. All subsequent editions have been played in [[Memphis, Tennessee]].

Rankings are based on the [[AP Poll]] prior to the game being played.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Date
! style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;" colspan="2" | Winning Team
! style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;" colspan="2" | Losing Team
! style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Attnd.
! style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Notes
|-
| December 19, 1959 || '''<small>12</small> [[1959 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State]]''' || '''7''' || <small>10</small> [[1959 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama]] || 0 || 36,211 || [[1959 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 20, 1960 || '''<small>16</small> [[1960 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State]]''' || '''41''' || [[1960 Oregon Ducks football team|Oregon]] || 12 || 16,624 || [[1960 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 16, 1961 || '''<small>14</small> [[1961 Syracuse Orangemen football team|Syracuse]]''' || '''15''' || [[1961 Miami Hurricanes football team|Miami (FL)]] || 14 || 15,712 || [[1961 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 15, 1962 || '''[[1962 Oregon State Beavers football team|Oregon State]]''' || '''6''' || [[1962 Villanova Wildcats football team|Villanova]] || 0 || 17,048 || [[1962 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 21, 1963 || '''[[1963 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team|Mississippi State]]''' || '''16''' || [[1963 NC State Wolfpack football team|NC State]] || 12 || 8,309 || [[1963 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 19, 1964 || '''[[1964 Utah Utes football team|Utah]]''' || '''32''' || [[1964 West Virginia Mountaineers football team|West Virginia]] || 6 || 6,059 || [[1964 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 18, 1965 || '''[[1965 Ole Miss Rebels football team|Ole Miss]]''' || '''13''' || [[1965 Auburn Tigers football team|Auburn]] || 7 || 38,607 || [[1965 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 10, 1966 || '''<small>9</small> [[1966 Miami Hurricanes football team|Miami (FL)]]''' || '''14''' || [[1966 Virginia Tech Hokies football team|Virginia Tech]] || 7 || 39,101 || [[1966 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 16, 1967 || '''[[1967 NC State Wolfpack football team|NC State]]''' || '''14''' || [[1967 Georgia Bulldogs football team|Georgia]] || 7 || 35,045 || [[1967 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 14, 1968 || '''[[1968 Ole Miss Rebels football team|Ole Miss]]''' || '''34''' || {{cfb link|year=1968|team=Virginia Tech Hokies|title=Virginia Tech}} || 17 || 46,206 || [[1968 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 13, 1969 || '''[[1969 Colorado Buffaloes football team|Colorado]]''' || '''47''' || [[1969 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama]] || 33 || 50,042 || [[1969 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 12, 1970 || '''[[1970 Tulane Green Wave football team|Tulane]]''' || '''17''' || [[1970 Colorado Buffaloes football team|Colorado]] || 3 || 44,640 || [[1970 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 20, 1971 || '''<small>9</small> [[1971 Tennessee Volunteers football team|Tennessee]]''' || '''14''' || <small>18</small> [[1971 Arkansas Razorbacks football team|Arkansas]] || 13 || 51,410 || [[1971 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 18, 1972 || '''[[1972 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team|Georgia Tech]]''' || '''31''' || [[1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team|Iowa State]] || 30 || 50,021 || [[1972 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 17, 1973 || '''<small>16</small> [[1973 NC State Wolfpack football team|NC State]]''' || '''31''' || <small>19</small> [[1973 Kansas Jayhawks football team|Kansas]] || 18 || 50,011 || [[1973 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 16, 1974 || '''[[1974 Tennessee Volunteers football team|Tennessee]]''' || '''7''' || <small>10</small> [[1974 Maryland Terrapins football team|Maryland]] || 3 || 51,284 || [[1974 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 22, 1975 || '''[[1975 USC Trojans football team|USC]]''' || '''20''' || <small>2</small> [[1975 Texas A&M Aggies football team|Texas A&M]] || 0 || 52,129 || [[1975 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 20, 1976 || '''<small>16</small> [[1976 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama]]''' || '''36''' || <small>7</small> [[1976 UCLA Bruins football team|UCLA]] || 6 || 52,736 || [[1976 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 19, 1977 || '''<small>12</small> [[1977 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]]''' || '''21''' || <small>14</small> [[1977 North Carolina Tar Heels football team|North Carolina]] || 17 || 49,456 || [[1977 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 23, 1978 || '''<small>18</small> [[1978 Missouri Tigers football team|Missouri]]''' || '''20''' || [[1978 LSU Tigers football team|LSU]] || 15 || 53,064 || [[1978 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 22, 1979 || '''[[1979 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State]]''' || '''9''' || <small>15</small> [[1979 Tulane Green Wave football team|Tulane]] || 6 || 50,021 || [[1979 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 27, 1980 || '''<small>16</small> [[1980 Purdue Boilermakers football team|Purdue]]''' || '''28''' || [[1980 Missouri Tigers football team|Missouri]] || 25 || 35,667 || [[1980 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 30, 1981 || '''<small>15</small> [[1981 Ohio State Buckeyes football team|Ohio State]]''' || '''31''' || [[1981 Navy Midshipmen football team|Navy]] || 28 || 43,216 || [[1981 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 29, 1982 || '''[[1982 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama]]''' || '''21''' || [[1982 Illinois Fighting Illini football team|Illinois]] || 15 || 54,123 || [[1982 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 29, 1983 || '''[[1983 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|Notre Dame]]''' || '''19''' || <small>13</small> [[1983 Boston College Eagles football team|Boston College]] || 18 || 47,071 || [[1983 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 27, 1984 || '''<small>16</small> [[1984 Auburn Tigers football team|Auburn]]''' || '''21''' || [[1984 Arkansas Razorbacks football team|Arkansas]] || 15 || 50,180 || [[1984 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 27, 1985 || '''[[1985 Baylor Bears football team|Baylor]]''' || '''21''' || <small>12</small> [[1985 LSU Tigers football team|LSU]] || 7 || 40,186 || [[1985 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 29, 1986 || '''[[1986 Tennessee Volunteers football team|Tennessee]]''' || '''21''' || [[1986 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team|Minnesota]] || 14 || 51,327 || [[1986 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 29, 1987 || '''<small>15</small> [[1987 Georgia Bulldogs football team|Georgia]]''' || '''20''' || [[1987 Arkansas Razorbacks football team|Arkansas]] || 17 || 53,249 || [[1987 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 28, 1988 || '''[[1988 Indiana Hoosiers football team|Indiana]]''' || '''34''' || [[1988 South Carolina Gamecocks football team|South Carolina]] || 10 || 39,210 || [[1988 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 29, 1989 || '''[[1989 Ole Miss Rebels football team|Ole Miss]]''' || '''42''' || [[1989 Air Force Falcons football team|Air Force]] || 29 || 60,128 || [[1989 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 27, 1990 || '''[[1990 Air Force Falcons football team|Air Force]]''' || '''23''' || <small>24</small> [[1990 Ohio State Buckeyes football team|Ohio State]] || 11 || 39,262 || [[1990 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 29, 1991 || '''[[1991 Air Force Falcons football team|Air Force]]''' || '''38''' || [[1991 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team|Mississippi State]] || 15 || 61,497 || [[1991 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 31, 1992 || '''<small>20</small> [[1992 Ole Miss Rebels football team|Ole Miss]]''' || '''13''' || [[1992 Air Force Falcons football team|Air Force]] || 0 || 32,107 || [[1992 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 28, 1993 || '''<small>25</small> [[1993 Louisville Cardinals football team|Louisville]]''' || '''18''' || [[1993 Michigan State Spartans football team|Michigan State]] || 7 || 34,216 || [[1993 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 31, 1994 || '''[[1994 Illinois Fighting Illini football team|Illinois]]''' || '''30''' || [[1994 East Carolina Pirates football team|East Carolina]] || 0 || 33,280 || [[1994 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 30, 1995 || '''[[1995 East Carolina Pirates football team|East Carolina]]''' || '''19''' || [[1995 Stanford Cardinal football team|Stanford]] || 13 || 47,398 || [[1995 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 27, 1996 || '''<small>23</small> [[1996 Syracuse Orangemen football team|Syracuse]]''' || '''30''' || [[1996 Houston Cougars football team|Houston]] || 17 || 49,163 || [[1996 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 31, 1997 || '''[[1997 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team|Southern Miss]]''' || '''41''' || [[1997 Pittsburgh Panthers football team|Pittsburgh]] || 7 || 50,209 || [[1997 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 31, 1998 || '''<small>10</small> [[1998 Tulane Green Wave football team|Tulane]]''' || '''41''' || [[BYU Cougars football|BYU]] || 27 || 52,192 || [[1998 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 31, 1999 || '''<small>16</small> [[1999 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team|Southern Miss]]''' || '''23''' || [[1999 Colorado State Rams football team|Colorado State]] || 17 || 54,866 || [[1999 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 29, 2000 || '''<small>23</small> [[2000 Colorado State Rams football team|Colorado State]]''' || '''22''' || <small>22</small> [[2000 Louisville Cardinals football team|Louisville]] || 17 || 58,302 || [[2000 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 31, 2001 || '''<small>23</small> [[2001 Louisville Cardinals football team|Louisville]]''' || '''28''' || <small>19</small> [[2001 BYU Cougars football team|BYU]] || 10 || 58,968 || [[2001 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 31, 2002 || '''[[2002 TCU Horned Frogs football team|TCU]]''' || '''17''' || <small>23</small> [[2002 Colorado State Rams football team|Colorado State]] || 3 || 55,207 || [[2002 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 31, 2003 || '''<small>25</small> [[2003 Utah Utes football team|Utah]]''' || '''17''' || [[2003 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team|Southern Miss]] || 0 || 55,989 || [[2003 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 31, 2004 || '''<small>7</small> [[2004 Louisville Cardinals football team|Louisville]]''' || '''44''' || <small>10</small> [[2004 Boise State Broncos football team|Boise State]] || 40 || 58,355 || [[2004 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 31, 2005 || '''[[2005 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team|Tulsa]]''' || '''31''' || [[2005 Fresno State Bulldogs football team|Fresno State]] || 24 || 54,894 || [[2005 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 29, 2006 || '''[[2006 South Carolina Gamecocks football team|South Carolina]]''' || '''44''' || [[2006 Houston Cougars football team|Houston]] || 36 || 56,103 || [[2006 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 29, 2007 || '''[[2007 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team|Mississippi State]]'''|| '''10''' || [[2007 UCF Knights football team|UCF]]|||3 || 63,816 || [[2007 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| align=right|January 2, 2009 || '''[[2008 Kentucky Wildcats football team|Kentucky]]''' || '''25'''
|| [[2008 East Carolina Pirates football team|East Carolina]]|||19 || 56,125 || [[2009 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| align=right|January 2, 2010 || '''[[2009 Arkansas Razorbacks football team|Arkansas]] '''  || '''20'''|| [[2009 East Carolina Pirates football team|East Carolina]]||| 17 {{small|(OT)}} || 62,742 || [[2010 Liberty Bowl (January)|notes]]
|-
| December 31, 2010 || '''[[2010 UCF Knights football team|UCF]]''' || '''10''' || [[2010 Georgia Bulldogs football team|Georgia]] || 6 || 51,231 || [[2010 Liberty Bowl (December)|notes]]
|-
| December 31, 2011 || '''[[2011 Cincinnati Bearcats football team|Cincinnati]]''' || '''31''' || [[2011 Vanderbilt Commodores football team|Vanderbilt]] || 24 || 57,103 || [[2011 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 31, 2012 || '''[[2012 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team|Tulsa]]''' || '''31''' || [[2012 Iowa State Cyclones football team|Iowa State]] || 17 || 53,687 || [[2012 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
| December 31, 2013 || '''[[2013 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team|Mississippi State]]''' || '''44''' || [[2013 Rice Owls football team|Rice]] || 7 || 57,846 || [[2013 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
|December 29, 2014 || [[2014 Texas A&M Aggies football team|'''Texas A&M''']] || '''45''' || [[2014 West Virginia Mountaineers football team|West Virginia]] || 37 || 51,282 || [[2014 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
|align=right|January 2, 2016 || |[[2015 Arkansas Razorbacks football team|'''Arkansas''']] || '''45''' || [[2015 Kansas State Wildcats football team|Kansas State]]  || 23 || 61,136 || [[2016 Liberty Bowl (January)|notes]]
|-
|December 30, 2016 || [[2016 Georgia Bulldogs football team|'''Georgia''']]  || '''31''' ||  [[2016 TCU Horned Frogs football team|TCU]] || 23 || 51,087 || [[2016 Liberty Bowl (December)|notes]]
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
|December 30, 2017 || [[2017 Iowa State Cyclones football team|'''Iowa State''']] || '''21''' || <small>18</small> [[2017 Memphis Tigers football team|Memphis]] || 20 || 57,266 || [[2017 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
|December 31, 2018 || '''[[2018 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team|Oklahoma State]]''' || '''38''' || <small>24</small> [[2018 Missouri Tigers football team|Missouri]] || 33 || 51,587 || [[2018 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
|December 31, 2019 || '''<small>21</small> [[2019 Navy Midshipmen football team|Navy]]''' || '''20''' || [[2019 Kansas State Wildcats football team|Kansas State]] || 17 || 50,515 || [[2019 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
|December 31, 2020 || '''[[2020 West Virginia Mountaineers football team|West Virginia]]''' || '''24''' || [[2020 Army Black Knights football team|Army]] || 21 || {{spaces|2}}8,187 || [[2020 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
|December 28, 2021 || '''[[2021 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team|Texas Tech]]''' || '''34''' || [[2021 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team|Mississippi State]] || 7 || 48,615 || [[2021 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
|December 28, 2022 || '''[[2022 Arkansas Razorbacks football team|Arkansas]]''' || '''55''' || [[2022 Kansas Jayhawks football team|Kansas]] || 53 {{small|(3OT)}} || 52,847 || [[2022 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-
|December 29, 2023 || '''[[2023 Memphis Tigers football team|Memphis]]''' || '''36''' || [[2023 Iowa State Cyclones football team|Iowa State]] || 26 || 48,789 || [[2023 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|-<!-- ALL RANKINGS FROM AP POLL ONLY (going back to 1959) -->
|December 27, 2024 || '''[[2024 Arkansas Razorbacks football team|Arkansas]]''' || '''39''' || [[2024 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team|Texas Tech]] || 26 || 37,764 || [[2024 Liberty Bowl|notes]]
|}
Source:<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2020/Bowls.pdf |magazine=Bowl/All Star Game Records |title=AutoZone Liberty Bowl |page=8 |via=NCAA.org |publisher=NCAA |date=2020 |access-date=January 3, 2021}}</ref><ref name=LibertyMediaGuide>{{cite web |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aWYwrObJqXJ_Mei6lwjDzmF1DqQEOvC-/view |title=62nd Annual Liberty Bowl History & Record Guide |date=2020 |website=libertybowl.org |access-date=December 31, 2020 |via=[[Google Drive]]}}</ref>{{rp|69, 72}}

==MVPs==
The bowl has named a single MVP for each game, since inception. In nine instances, the MVP has played on the losing team, including four instances in a seven-game span during 1977–1983. The most recent MVP to play on the losing team was Kwame Ellis of Stanford in 1995. Quarterback Rob Perez of Air Force was named MVP twice, in 1990 and 1991.

{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
!style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Game
!style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|MVP
!style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Team
!style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Position
|-
|1959 || Jay Huffman || [[1959 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State]] || C
|-
|1960 || [[Dick Hoak]] || [[1960 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State]] || RB
|-
|1961 || [[Dick Easterly]] || [[1961 Syracuse Orangemen football team|Syracuse]] || RB
|-
|1962 || [[Terry Baker]] || [[1962 Oregon State Beavers football team|Oregon State]] || QB
|-
|1963 || [[Ode Burrell]] || [[1963 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team|Mississippi State]] || HB
|-
|1964 || [[Pokey Allen|Ernest Allen]] || [[1964 Utah Utes football team|Utah]] || QB
|-
|1965 || Tom Bryan || bgcolor=lightyellow|[[1965 Auburn Tigers football team|Auburn]]{{dagger}} || FB
|-
|1966 || Jimmy Cox || [[1966 Miami Hurricanes football team|Miami (Florida)]] || SE
|-
|1967 || [[Jim Donnan]] || [[1967 NC State Wolfpack football team|NC State]] || QB
|-
|1968 || Steve Hindman || [[1968 Ole Miss Rebels football team|Ole Miss]] || TB
|-
|1969 || [[Bobby Anderson (American football)|Bobby Anderson]] || [[1969 Colorado Buffaloes football team|Colorado]] || TB
|-
|1970 || Dave Abercrombie || [[1970 Tulane Green Wave football team|Tulane]] || TB
|-
|1971 || [[Joe Ferguson]] || bgcolor=lightyellow|[[1971 Arkansas Razorbacks football team|Arkansas]]{{dagger}} || QB
|-
|1972 || Jim Stevens || [[1972 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team|Georgia Tech]] || QB
|-
|1973 || [[Stan Fritts]] || [[1973 NC State Wolfpack football team|NC State]] || FB
|-
|1974 || [[Randy White (American football)|Randy White]] || bgcolor=lightyellow|[[1974 Maryland Terrapins football team|Maryland]]{{dagger}} || DT
|-
|1975 || [[Ricky Bell (running back)|Ricky Bell]] || [[1975 USC Trojans football team|USC]] || RB
|-
|1976 || [[Barry Krauss]] || [[1976 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama]] || LB
|-
|1977 || Matt Kupec || bgcolor=lightyellow|[[1977 North Carolina Tar Heels football team|North Carolina]]{{dagger}} || QB
|-
|1978 || [[James Wilder Sr.]] || [[1978 Missouri Tigers football team|Missouri]] || RB
|-
|1979 || Roch Hontas || bgcolor=lightyellow|[[1979 Tulane Green Wave football team|Tulane]]{{dagger}} || QB
|-
|1980 || [[Mark Herrmann]] || [[1980 Purdue Boilermakers football team|Purdue]] || QB
|-
|1981 || Eddie Myers || bgcolor=lightyellow|[[1981 Navy Midshipmen football team|Navy]]{{dagger}} || TB
|-
|1982 || [[Jeremiah Castille]] || [[1982 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama]] || DB
|-
|1983 || [[Doug Flutie]] || bgcolor=lightyellow|[[1983 Boston College Eagles football team|Boston College]]{{dagger}} || QB
|-
|1984 || [[Bo Jackson]] || [[1984 Auburn Tigers football team|Auburn]] || RB
|-
|1985 || [[Cody Carlson]] || [[1985 Baylor Bears football team|Baylor]] || QB
|-
|1986 || Jeff Francis || [[1986 Tennessee Volunteers football team|Tennessee]] || QB
|-
|1987 || Greg Thomas || bgcolor=lightyellow|[[1987 Arkansas Razorbacks football team|Arkansas]]{{dagger}} || QB
|-
|1988 || [[Dave Schnell]] || [[1988 Indiana Hoosiers football team|Indiana]] || QB
|-
|1989 || [[Randy Baldwin]] || [[1989 Ole Miss Rebels football team|Ole Miss]] || RB
|-
|1990 || Rob Perez || [[1990 Air Force Falcons football team|Air Force]] || QB
|-
|1991 || Rob Perez || [[1991 Air Force Falcons football team|Air Force]] || QB
|}
{{col-break}}
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Game
!style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|MVP
!style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Team
!style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Position
|-
|1992 || Cassius Ware || [[1992 Ole Miss Rebels football team|Ole Miss]] || LB
|-
|1993 || [[Jeff Brohm]] || [[1993 Louisville Cardinals football team|Louisville]] || QB
|-
|1994 || [[Johnny Johnson (American football)|Johnny Johnson]] || [[1994 Illinois Fighting Illini football team|Illinois]] || QB
|-
|1995 || Kwame Ellis || bgcolor=lightyellow|[[1995 Stanford Cardinal football team|Stanford]]{{dagger}} || CB
|-
|1996 || Malcolm Thomas || [[1996 Syracuse Orangemen football team|Syracuse]] || RB
|-
|1997 || [[Sherrod Gideon]] || [[1997 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team|Southern Miss.]] || WR
|-
|1998 || [[Shaun King (American football)|Shaun King]] || [[1998 Tulane Green Wave football team|Tulane]] || QB
|-
|1999 || [[Adalius Thomas]] || [[1999 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team|Southern Miss.]] || DE
|-
|2000 || [[Cecil Sapp]] || [[2000 Colorado State Rams football team|Colorado State]] || RB
|-
|2001 || [[Dave Ragone]] || [[2001 Louisville Cardinals football team|Louisville]] || QB
|-
|2002 || [[LaTarence Dunbar]] || [[2002 TCU Horned Frogs football team|TCU]] || WR
|-
|2003 || Morgan Scalley || [[2003 Utah Utes football team|Utah]] || DB
|-
|2004 || [[Stefan LeFors]] || [[2004 Louisville Cardinals football team|Louisville]] || QB
|-
|2005 || [[Paul Smith (quarterback)|Paul Smith]] || [[2005 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team|Tulsa]] || QB
|-
|2006 || [[Blake Mitchell]] || [[2006 South Carolina Gamecocks football team|South Carolina]] || QB
|-
|2007 || [[Derek Pegues]] || [[2007 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team|Mississippi State]] || FS
|-
|2009 || Ventrell Jenkins || [[2008 Kentucky Wildcats football team|Kentucky]] || DT
|-
|2010 (Jan) || [[Ryan Mallett]] || [[2009 Arkansas Razorbacks football team|Arkansas]] || QB
|-
|2010 (Dec) || [[Latavius Murray]] || [[2010 UCF Knights football team|UCF]] || RB
|-
|2011 || [[Isaiah Pead]] || [[2011 Cincinnati Bearcats football team|Cincinnati]] || RB
|-
|2012 || [[Trey Watts]] || [[2012 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team|Tulsa]] || RB
|-
|2013 || [[Dak Prescott]] || [[2013 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team|Mississippi State]] || QB
|-
|2014 || [[Kyle Allen (American football)|Kyle Allen]] || [[2014 Texas A&M Aggies football team|Texas A&M]] || QB
|-
|2016 (Jan) || [[Alex Collins (American football)|Alex Collins]] || [[2015 Arkansas Razorbacks football team|Arkansas]] || RB
|-
|2016 (Dec) || [[Trenton Thompson]] || [[2016 Georgia Bulldogs football team|Georgia]] || DT
|-
|2017 || [[Allen Lazard]] || [[2017 Iowa State Cyclones football team|Iowa State]] || WR
|-
|2018 || [[Taylor Cornelius]] || [[2018 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team|Oklahoma State]] || QB
|-
|2019 || [[Malcolm Perry (American football)|Malcolm Perry]] || [[2019 Navy Midshipmen football team|Navy]] || QB
|-
|2020 || T. J. Simmons || [[2020 West Virginia Mountaineers football team|West Virginia]] || WR
|-
|2021 || [[Donovan Smith (quarterback)|Donovan Smith]] || Texas Tech || QB
|-
|2022 || [[KJ Jefferson]] || [[2022 Arkansas Razorbacks football team|Arkansas]] || QB
|-
|2023 || [[Seth Henigan]] || [[2023 Memphis Tigers football team|Memphis]] || QB
|-
|2024 || [[Taylen Green]] || [[2024 Arkansas Razorbacks football team|Arkansas]] || QB
|}
{{col-end}}
Source:<ref name=LibertyMediaGuide/>{{rp|70}}<ref>{{cite tweet |user=RazorbackComms |number=1872862461692715116 |title=Your 2024 @AZOLibertyBowl MVP: Arkansas QB Taylen Green |date=December 27, 2024 |accessdate=December 27, 2024}}</ref>

{{dagger}} indicates the MVP played on the losing team

==Most appearances==
Updated through the December 2024 edition (66 games, 132 total appearances).

;Teams with multiple appearances
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
{|class = "wikitable"
|-
!style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Rank
!style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Team
!style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Games
!style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|W–L
|-
|1 || [[Arkansas Razorbacks football|Arkansas]] || 7 || 4–3
|-
|2 || [[Mississippi State Bulldogs football|Mississippi State]] || 5 || 3–2
|-
|T3 || [[Ole Miss Rebels football|Ole Miss]] || 4 || 4–0
|-
|T3 || [[Louisville Cardinals football|Louisville]] || 4 || 3–1
|-
|T3 || [[Air Force Falcons football|Air Force]] || 4 || 2–2
|-
|T3 || [[Alabama Crimson Tide football|Alabama]] || 4 || 2–2
|-
|T3 || [[Georgia Bulldogs football|Georgia]] || 4 || 2–2
|-
|T3 || [[Iowa State Cyclones football|Iowa State]] || 4 || 1–3
|-
|T3 || [[East Carolina Pirates football|East Carolina]] || 4 || 1–3
|-
|T10 || [[Tennessee Volunteers football|Tennessee]] || 3 || 3–0
|-
|T10|| [[Penn State Nittany Lions football|Penn State]] || 3 || 3–0
|-
|T10 || [[NC State Wolfpack football|NC State]] || 3 || 2–1
|-
|T10 || [[Southern Miss Golden Eagles football|Southern Miss]] || 3 || 2–1
|-
|T10 || [[Tulane Green Wave football|Tulane]] || 3 || 2–1
|-
|T10 || [[Colorado State Rams football|Colorado State]] || 3 || 1–2
|-
|T10 || [[Missouri Tigers football|Missouri]] || 3 || 1–2
|-
|T10 || [[West Virginia Mountaineers football|West Virginia]] || 3 || 1–2
|}
{{col-break}}
{|class = "wikitable"
|-
!style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Rank
!style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Team
!style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Games
!style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|W–L
|-
|T18 || [[Syracuse Orange football|Syracuse]] || 2 || 2–0
|-
|T18 || [[Tulsa Golden Hurricane football|Tulsa]] || 2 || 2–0
|-
|T18|| [[Utah Utes football|Utah]] || 2 || 2–0
|-
|T18 || [[Auburn Tigers football|Auburn]] || 2 || 1–1
|-
|T18 || [[Colorado Buffaloes football|Colorado]] || 2 || 1–1
|-
|T18 || [[Illinois Fighting Illini football|Illinois]] || 2 || 1–1
|-
|T18 || [[Miami Hurricanes football|Miami (Florida)]] || 2 || 1–1
|-
|T18 || [[Navy Midshipmen football|Navy]] || 2 || 1–1
|-
|T18 || [[Ohio State Buckeyes football|Ohio State]] || 2 || 1–1
|-
|T18|| [[South Carolina Gamecocks football|South Carolina]] || 2 || 1–1
|-
|T18 || [[TCU Horned Frogs football|TCU]] || 2 || 1–1
|-
|T18|| [[Texas A&M Aggies football|Texas A&M]] || 2 || 1–1
|-
|T18 || [[UCF Knights football|UCF]] || 2 || 1–1
|-
|T18 || [[Memphis Tigers football|Memphis]] || 2 || 1–1
|-
|T18 || [[Texas Tech Red Raiders football|Texas Tech]] || 2 || 1–1
|-
|T18 || [[BYU Cougars football|BYU]] || 2 || 0–2
|-
|T18 || [[Houston Cougars football|Houston]] || 2 || 0–2
|-
|T18 || [[Kansas Jayhawks football|Kansas]] || 2 || 0–2
|-
|T18 || [[Kansas State Wildcats football|Kansas State]] || 2 || 0–2
|-
|T18 || [[LSU Tigers football|LSU]] || 2 || 0–2
|-
|T18 || [[Virginia Tech Hokies football|Virginia Tech]] || 2 || 0–2
|}
{{col-break}}
{{col-end}}

;Teams with a single appearance
Won (11): [[Baylor Bears football team|Baylor]], [[Cincinnati Bearcats football|Cincinnati]], [[Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football|Georgia Tech]], [[Indiana Hoosiers football|Indiana]], [[Kentucky Wildcats football|Kentucky]], [[Nebraska Cornhuskers football|Nebraska]], [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame]], [[Oklahoma State Cowboys football|Oklahoma State]], [[Oregon State Beavers football|Oregon State]], [[Purdue Boilermakers football|Purdue]], [[USC Trojans football|USC]]
<br>
Lost (15): [[Army Black Knights football|Army]], [[Boise State Broncos football|Boise State]], [[Boston College Eagles football|Boston College]], [[Fresno State Bulldogs football|Fresno State]], [[Maryland Terrapins football|Maryland]], [[Michigan State Spartans football|Michigan State]], [[Minnesota Golden Gophers football|Minnesota]], [[North Carolina Tar Heels football|North Carolina]], [[Oregon Ducks football|Oregon]], [[Pittsburgh Panthers football|Pittsburgh]], [[Rice Owls football|Rice]], [[Stanford Cardinal football|Stanford]], [[UCLA Bruins football|UCLA]], [[Vanderbilt Commodores football|Vanderbilt]], [[Villanova Wildcats football|Villanova]]

Source:<ref name=LibertyMediaGuide/>{{rp|71}}

==Appearances by conference==
Updated through the December 2024 edition (66 games, 132 total appearances).

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;" rowspan=2|Conference
! style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;" colspan=4|Record
! style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;" colspan=2|Appearances by season
|-
! style="border: 2px solid #D01623;" |Games
! style="border: 2px solid #D01623;" |W
! style="border: 2px solid #D01623;" |L
! style="border: 2px solid #D01623;" |Win pct.
! style="border: 2px solid #D01623;" class=unsortable|Won
! style="border: 2px solid #D01623;" class=unsortable|Lost
|-
| [[Southeastern Conference|SEC]] || 33 || {{WinLossPct|22|11}}
| <!--won-->1963, 1965, 1968, 1971, 1974, 1976, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1992, 2006, 2007, 2008*, 2009*, 2013, 2014, 2015*, 2016, 2022, 2024
| <!--lost-->1959, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1978, 1985, 1991, 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021
|-
| [[NCAA Division I FBS independent schools|Independents]] || 22 || {{WinLossPct|11|11}}
| <!--won-->1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1983, 1993, 1995
| <!--lost-->1960, 1961, 1962, 1966, 1968, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1988, 1994, 2020
|-
| [[Conference USA|C-USA]] || 17 || {{WinLossPct|9|8}}
| <!--won-->1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2012
| <!--lost-->1996, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008*, 2009*, 2013
|-
| [[Big 12 Conference|Big 12]] || 12 || {{WinLossPct|4|8}}
| <!--won-->2017, 2018, 2020, 2021
| <!--lost-->2012, 2014, 2015*, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024
|-
| [[Big Ten Conference|Big Ten]] || 8 || {{WinLossPct|4|4}}
| <!--won-->1980, 1981, 1988, 1994
| <!--lost-->1982, 1986, 1990, 1993
|-
| bgcolor=lightgrey|''[[Western Athletic Conference|WAC]]'' || 8 || {{WinLossPct|3|5}}
| <!--won-->1964, 1990, 1991
| <!--lost-->1989, 1992, 1998, 2004, 2005
|-
| bgcolor=lightgrey|''[[Big Eight Conference|Big Eight]]'' || 7 || {{WinLossPct|3|4}}
| <!--won-->1969, 1977, 1978
| <!--lost-->1970, 1972, 1973, 1980
|-
| [[American Athletic Conference|The American]] || 6 || {{WinLossPct|4|2}}
| <!--won-->1996, 2011, 2019, 2023
| <!--lost-->1997, 2017
|-
| [[Atlantic Coast Conference|ACC]] || 5 || {{WinLossPct|2|3}}
| <!--won-->1967, 1973
| <!--lost-->1963, 1974, 1977
|-
| [[Mountain West Conference|Mountain West]] || 5 || {{WinLossPct|2|3}}
| <!--won-->2000, 2003
| <!--lost-->1999, 2001, 2002
|-
| bgcolor=lightgrey|''[[Southwest Conference|SWC]]'' || 5 || {{WinLossPct|1|4}}
| <!--won-->1985
| <!--lost-->1971, 1975, 1984, 1987
|-
| [[Pac-10 Conference|Pac-10]] || 3 || {{WinLossPct|1|2}}
| <!--won-->1975
| <!--lost-->1976, 1995
|-
| bgcolor=lightgrey|''[[Southern Conference|SoCon]]'' || 1 || {{WinLossPct|0|1}}
| <!--won-->&nbsp;
| <!--lost-->1964
|}

* Games marked with an asterisk (*) were played in January of the following calendar year.
* Records reflect conference membership at the time each game was played.
** The 1965 game was contested between two SEC teams. Two independent teams have met multiple times.
* Conferences that are defunct or no longer active in FBS are marked in ''italics''.
** The [[Pac-12 Conference]] appeared in the bowl when the conference was known as the Pac-8 and Pac-10.
** The American's record includes appearances of the [[Big East Conference (1979–2013)|Big East Conference]], as The American retains the charter of the original Big East, following its [[2010–13 Big East Conference realignment|2013 realignment]]. Teams representing the Big East appeared in three games, compiling a 2–1 record.
* Independent appearances: Army (2020), Boston College (1983), East Carolina (1994, 1995), Georgia Tech (1972), Louisville (1993), Miami (FL) (1961, 1966), Navy (1981), Notre Dame (1983), Oregon (1960), Oregon State (1962), Penn State (1959, 1960, 1979), South Carolina (1988), Syracuse (1961), Tulane (1970, 1979), Villanova (1962), Virginia Tech (1966, 1968).

{{asof|2023}}, every SEC member except [[Florida Gators football|Florida]] has played in the game.  Every current, former or future Big 12 member except [[Oklahoma Sooners football|Oklahoma]] and [[Texas Longhorns football|Texas]] have played in the game. A majority of teams that are members of the [[Power Five conferences]] have appeared in the game.

==Game records==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Team
! style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Record, Team vs. Opponent
! style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Game
|-
|Most points scored (one team)
| '''55''', Arkansas vs. Kansas
| 2022
|-
|Most points scored (losing team)
| '''53''', Kansas vs. Arkansas
| 2022
|-
|Most points scored (both teams)
| '''108''', Arkansas vs. Kansas
| 2022
|-
|Fewest points allowed
| '''0''', most recent:<br>Utah vs. Southern Miss
| <br>2003
|-
|Largest margin of victory
| '''37''', Mississippi State vs. Rice
| 2013
|-
|Total yards
| '''681''', Arkansas vs. Kansas
| 2022
|-
|Rushing yards
| '''473''', Colorado vs. Alabama
| 1969
|-
|Passing yards
| '''544''', Kansas vs. Arkansas
| 2022
|-
|First downs 
| '''30''', shared by:<br>Ole Miss vs. Air Force<br>Arkansas vs. Kansas State<br>Kansas vs. Arkansas
| <br>1989<br>2015<br>2022
|-
|Fewest yards allowed
| '''131''', Alabama vs. Penn State
| 1959
|-
|Fewest rushing yards allowed
| '''–8''', Penn State vs. Tulane
| 1979
|-
|Fewest passing yards allowed
| '''2''', Ole Miss vs. Virginia Tech
| 1968
|-
! style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Individual
! style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Record, Player, Team
! style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Game
|-
|All-purpose yards || '''279''', Vincent Marshall (Houston) || 2006
|-
|Touchdowns (all-purpose) || '''3''', shared by:<br> Bob Anderson (Colorado)<br> [[Sherrod Gideon]] (Southern Miss)<br> Alex Singleton (Tulsa)<br> Alex Collins (Arkansas)<br> Tyhier Tyler (Army) || <br>1969<br>1997<br>2012<br>2015<br>2020
|-
|Rushing yards || '''254''', Bob Anderson (Colorado) || 1969
|-
|Rushing touchdowns || '''3''', most recent:<br>Tyhier Tyler,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://apnews.com/article/college-football-west-virginia-mountaineers-football-jarret-doege-football-coronavirus-pandemic-d3abfaa1bf380bde053a85ff2feee340 |title=West Virginia rallies to beat Army 24-21 in Liberty Bowl |first=Clay |last=Bailey |agency=[[Associated Press|AP]] |website=apnews.com |date=December 31, 2020 |access-date=December 31, 2020}}</ref> (Army) || <br>2020
|-
|Passing yards || '''544''', [[Jalon Daniels]] (Kansas) || 2022
|-
|Passing touchdowns || '''5''', [[Jalon Daniels]] (Kansas) || 2022
|-
|Receptions || '''10''', shared by:<br>[[Bobby Joe Edmonds]] (Arkansas)<br>Deon Branch (Louisville)<br>[[Allen Lazard]] (Iowa State))<br>[[Luke Grimm]] (Kansas) || <br>1984<br>2000<br>2017<br>2022
|-
|Receiving yards || '''220''', [[Jameon Lewis]] (Mississippi State) || 2013
|-
|Receiving touchdowns || '''3''', [[Sherrod Gideon]] (Southern Miss) || 1997
|-
|Tackles, total || '''19''', shared by:<br>[[George Andrews (American football)|George Andrews]] (Nebraska)<br>[[A. J. Klein]] (Iowa State)|| <br>1977<br>2012
|-
|Tackles, solo || '''12''', [[Randy White (American football)|Randy White]] (Maryland) || 1974
|-
|Sacks || '''3''', [[Trenton Thompson]] (Georgia) || 2016 (Dec)
|-
|Interceptions || '''3''', shared by:<br>Louis Campbell (Arkansas)<br>[[Jeremiah Castille]] (Alabama) || <br>1971<br>1982
|-
! style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Long Plays
! style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent
! style="background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623;"|Game
|-
|Touchdown run || '''99 yds.''', [[Terry Baker]] (Oregon State) || 1962
|-
|Touchdown pass || '''94 yds.''', [[Taylen Green]] to Dazmin James (Arkansas) || 2024
|-
|Kickoff return || '''99 yds.''', David Jones (Kentucky) || 2008
|-
|Punt return || '''79 yds.''', [[Norman Jefferson]] (LSU) || 1985
|-
|Interception return || '''92 yds.''', [[Andy Avalos]] (Boise State) || 2004
|-
|Fumble return || '''74 yds.''', Morgan Scalley (Utah) || 2003
|-
|Punt || '''73 yds.''', Joey Huber (Colorado State) || 2000
|-
|Field goal || '''49 yds.''', Tanner Gillis (Memphis) || 2023
|}
Source:<ref name=LibertyMediaGuide/>{{rp|73–87}}

==Media coverage==
The earliest editions of the bowl were broadcast by [[NBC]] (1959–1963) and [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] (1964–1980). Several different networks carried the 1981 through 1989 games, including [[USA Network]], [[Katz Broadcasting]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41646097/wttv_to_air_liberty_bowl/ |title=WTTV to air Liberty Bowl |first=Julia |last=Inman |newspaper=[[The Indianapolis Star]] |page=17 |date=December 29, 1983 |access-date=January 4, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> and [[Raycom Media|Raycom]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41646485/liberty_bowl_finds_a_road_to_recovery/ |title=Liberty Bowl finds a road to recovery |first=Rick |last=Cleveland |newspaper=[[The Clarion-Ledger]] |location=[[Jackson, Mississippi]] |page=21 |date=December 28, 1989 |access-date=January 4, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Since 1990, the game has been broadcast predominantly by [[ESPN College Football|ESPN]], with some editions on [[ESPN on ABC|ABC]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://footballbowlassociation.com/documents/2019/10/23/FBA_Media_Guide_2019_digital.pdf |title=2019–20 Football Bowl Association Media Guide |website=footballbowlassociation.com |editor=Kelly, Doug |page=138 |access-date=January 3, 2020}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.libertybowl.org/}}

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[[Category:Liberty Bowl| ]]
[[Category:College football bowls]]
[[Category:Sports competitions in Memphis, Tennessee]]
[[Category:American football in Memphis, Tennessee]]
[[Category:College football bowls in Tennessee]]
[[Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1959]]
[[Category:1959 establishments in Tennessee]]