Music City Bowl
2026

About the 2026 Music City Bowl

The Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl is one of college football's most popular mid-tier bowl games. Played at Nissan Stadium in Nashville since 1999, the game has built a long-running reputation as a destination bowl thanks to its host city, its competitive matchups, and its post-game concerts featuring Nashville recording artists. The 2026 edition kicks off December 30 and continues the bowl's long-running SEC vs. Big Ten tradition.

Specific team selections for the 2026 edition will be announced during college football's bowl-selection weekend. The Music City Bowl draws from the SEC's middle tier of bowl-eligible programs and the Big Ten's parallel tier, regularly producing matchups between historically powerful teams. The 2025 edition saw Tennessee defeat Illinois in a Southern-coded matchup that filled Nissan Stadium and broke local viewership records on ESPN.

Nissan Stadium has been the bowl's home since its opening in 1999. The stadium seats roughly 69,000 fans and sits on the east bank of the Cumberland River, just across from downtown Nashville. The venue is fully equipped for postseason football, with premium suites, club lounges, the Coca-Cola Club, accessible seating sections, and a concessions program built around Nashville hot chicken, BBQ, and other Southern game-day favorites. The neighborhood around the stadium fills with tailgate parties on game day, with a strong walk-up scene from the Five Points East Nashville district and across the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge from downtown.

Nashville is one of college football's most popular travel destinations for postseason bowl trips. Bowl-week activities include a player welcome at the Country Music Hall of Fame, a Music City Bowl Bash fan event in downtown, themed pub crawls along Lower Broadway, and pre-game and post-game concerts featuring some of Nashville's biggest country and Americana artists. The Honky Tonk Highway -- the stretch of bars and music venues on Broadway -- gets especially busy in the days leading up to kickoff.

Past Music City Bowl matchups have featured Notre Dame, Tennessee, Auburn, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Iowa, Michigan State, Boston College, Pittsburgh, and dozens of other notable programs. The bowl's long-running tradition of producing entertaining mid-tier matchups is documented at Sports Reference and the bowl's Wikipedia page.

Browse the full ticket inventory above for current seat availability. BigStub has been in the live-event resale business for more than 20 years -- every order is shown with no hidden fees and is backed by a full buyer guarantee.

About the Music City Bowl 2026

Where can I buy Music City Bowl tickets?

Music City Bowl tickets are sold through official channels including Ticketmaster, the Nissan Stadium box office, and the bowl's official site. Verified resale seats are also available above on BigStub, a trusted marketplace with no hidden fees and a full buyer guarantee.

When and where is the 2026 Music City Bowl?

The 2026 Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl kicks off Wednesday, December 30, 2026, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. The game will be televised on ESPN as part of the bowl-week broadcast lineup.

Which teams are playing in the 2026 Music City Bowl?

Specific team selections for the 2026 edition will be announced during college football's bowl-selection weekend in early December. The Music City Bowl traditionally matches a team from the SEC against a team from the Big Ten, drawing from each conference's middle tier of bowl-eligible programs.

What is the venue like?

Nissan Stadium is home of the NFL's Tennessee Titans and seats roughly 69,000 fans for football. The stadium sits on the east bank of the Cumberland River just across from downtown Nashville and is walkable to Lower Broadway, the Honky Tonk Highway, and East Nashville. Amenities include premium suites, club lounges, the Coca-Cola Club, and a Nashville-leaning concessions program.

Why buy from BigStub?

BigStub has been a trusted resale marketplace for more than 20 years. Every order is shown with no hidden service fees, a full buyer guarantee backs every purchase, and BigStub holds the highest Trustpilot rating in the resale industry.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Music City Bowl?

The Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl is a long-running college football bowl game played at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. First played in 1998, the bowl traditionally matches a team from the SEC against a team from the Big Ten, drawing from each conference's middle tier of bowl-eligible programs. The bowl is title-sponsored by Liberty Mutual Insurance.

When is the 2026 Music City Bowl?

The 2026 Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl kicks off Wednesday, December 30, 2026, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. The game will be televised on ESPN as part of the bowl-week broadcast lineup.

Which teams are playing?

Specific team selections for the 2026 edition will be announced during college football's bowl-selection weekend in early December. The Music City Bowl traditionally matches an SEC team against a Big Ten team. Check the listings above and the bowl's official site for matchup news as the game approaches.

Who played in the 2025 Music City Bowl?

The 2025 edition (played December 30, 2025) featured Tennessee and Illinois in a Southern-coded matchup that filled Nissan Stadium and drew strong national ratings on ESPN. The 2026 game continues the bowl's long-running SEC vs. Big Ten tradition with new teams to be announced.

What is Nissan Stadium like?

Nissan Stadium is home of the NFL's Tennessee Titans and seats roughly 69,000 fans for football. The stadium sits on the east bank of the Cumberland River just across from downtown Nashville and is walkable to Lower Broadway. Amenities include premium suites, club lounges, the Coca-Cola Club, accessible seating sections, and a concessions program built around Nashville hot chicken, BBQ, and Southern game-day favorites.

What is bowl week in Nashville like?

Nashville is one of college football's most popular bowl-week destinations. Activities include a player welcome at the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Music City Bowl Bash fan event in downtown, themed pub crawls along Lower Broadway, pre-game and post-game concerts featuring Nashville artists, and a citywide tailgate scene from Five Points East Nashville across the pedestrian bridge to downtown.

What channel will the game air on?

The 2026 Music City Bowl will be broadcast on ESPN as part of the network's bowl-week lineup. Specific kickoff time will be confirmed when team selections are announced in early December.

How do I get to Nissan Stadium?

Nissan Stadium sits on the east bank of the Cumberland River, accessible from downtown Nashville via the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge and several roadway crossings. The stadium has multiple parking lots with paid game-day parking. Many fans also walk from downtown hotels or use the rideshare zones around the venue.

How much do Music City Bowl tickets cost?

Ticket prices vary by seat location, section, and demand. Premium and club seats tend to be the highest-demand inventory, while upper-deck seats are usually the most affordable. Check the listings above for current pricing across every section of Nissan Stadium. BigStub orders are shown with no hidden service fees.

What happens if the game is rescheduled?

If the game is officially rescheduled by the bowl committee or the venue, BigStub's buyer guarantee applies. The customer-service team handles refund and replacement processes directly. Information about how to reach BigStub's customer service is available through the BigStub help center linked at checkout.