Tennessee football is staying in-state for its bowl game. After an 8-4 (4-4 SEC) season, the Vols will officially go to Nashville to play in the Music City Bowl against Illinois.
The game will be played at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, the home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans. Kickoff is scheduled for Dec. 30 at 5:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. CT and will air on ESPN. It is the first game UT has ever played in football against the Illini.
After being named to the bowl game, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel released a statement giving his thoughts:
“We appreciate the opportunity to send our seniors out with one final game in our home state in the Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl,” said Heupel. “The opportunity to prepare and compete against an outstanding Big Ten opponent the caliber of Illinois is one we look forward to. Vol Nation has been unwavering in its loyalty and support of our players. It’s something we never take for granted. We are excited to go play in front of them one more time in 2025 in Nashville.”
Nashville bound 🎸@MusicCityBowl
🆚 Illinois
🗓️ December 30
🏟️ @NissanStadium
📰 https://t.co/EwojLFMrR8 pic.twitter.com/I31TbgdgUy— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) December 7, 2025
More From RTI: Tennessee And Illinois Entering Unique Situation As Reported Bowl Game Opponents
Heupel has just concluded his fifth regular season at Tennessee, however, it was capped off with a brutal loss to in-state rival Vanderbilt. The Commodores used a 31-3 run to end the game to win 45-24 in Neyland Stadium.
In his Tennessee tenure, Heupel now holds a 45-19 (24-16 SEC) record. He has steered the Vols to a pair of 10-win regular seasons, including in 2024, which saw UT earn a spot in the College Football Playoffs as the 9-seed. Tennessee would go on to lose at Ohio State, the eventual national champion, in the first round.
Heupel has just helped ink one of the best signing classes in the country as he prepares for next season, as well. The group ranks No. 4 in the country on 247. Now, he’ll prepare to deal with the transfer portal as he looks to manage his current roster and add pieces once it opens in January.
So far, just three players have announced their intention to enter. Defensive back Boo Carter, defensive lineman Jamal Wallace and edge rusher Kellen Lindstrom are all departing.
