With the conference championship slate of games in the books, bowl game selections are right around the corner. This includes Tennessee football, which has been tied to multiple bowls after finishing the 2025 season 8-4 (4-4 SEC).
According to ESPN on Sunday morning, both Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach are in agreement. The pair has the Vols headed to Tampa to play Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl. The game is scheduled for Dec. 31 at noon ET on ESPN.
While Tennessee is waiting on its selection, most of the Big Ten know where it is headed. According to a report from On3’s Brett McMurphy, Michigan will play in the Citrus Bowl, Iowa will play in the ReliaQuest Bowl and Illinois will play in the Music City Bowl. The SEC is the other conference tie-in for those three games. McMurphy projects UT to play in the Music City Bowl against the Illini.
More From RTI: Tennessee Bowl Projections: Where the Vols Land in Post-SEC Championship Projections
If ESPN is correct and Tennessee and Iowa meet in the ReliaQuest Bowl, it’d be the second time in three years that the pair square off in a Florida bowl game. In 2023, after the Vols also finished 8-4, the two played in the Citrus Bowl. Tennessee won that matchup 35-0 behind MVP Nico Iamaleava.
All-time, the Vols are 3-1 against the Hawkeyes. Tennessee lost the first meeting in Atlanta in 1982, but claimed neutral site wins in 1987, 2014 and, most recently, 2023.
Tennessee has played in the ReliaQuest Bowl, previously named the Outback Bowl and Hall of Fame Bowl, four times since it began in 1986. In 1993, UT defeated Boston College 38-23. In 2007, the Vols fell to Penn State 20-10. However, Tennessee returned the following season, beating Wisconsin 21-17 in 2008. The most recent appearance was in 2016, when UT won 45-6 over Northwestern.
