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No. 23 Iowa football to face No. 14 Vanderbilt in bowl game
It’s the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Dec. 7, 2025 1:05 pm, Updated: Dec. 7, 2025 4:16 pm
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IOWA CITY — The Hawkeyes are flying South for the their final game of the regular season.
No. 23 Iowa football (8-4, 6-3 Big Ten) will head to Tampa, Florida for the ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium against No. 14 Vanderbilt (10-2, 6-2 SEC) on New Year’s Eve, the program announced. It’s the first time since 2019 the Hawkeyes will play in Raymond James Stadium.
Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on ESPN.
This will be the first-ever meeting between the Hawkeyes and the Commodores.
Formerly known as the Outback Bowl, Iowa will make its sixth appearance since 2004, and seventh all-time. Iowa is 3-3 all-time in the ReliaQuest Bowl, and have won four of its last bowl game appearances. The Hawkeyes faced Mississippi State in their 2019 appearance in this particular bowl game, winning the game, 27-24.
Iowa has reached bowl eligibility 24 times in the last 25 seasons under head coach Kirk Ferentz since 2001. The Hawkeyes are 18-18-1 in bowl games.
Head coach Clark Lea leads the Commodores to their second bowl game in his tenure after falling out of the College Football Playoff conversation by missing the SEC Championship game. Vanderbilt is 5-4-1 all-time in bowl appearances, including a 35-27 win over Georgia Tech in the Birmingham Bowl last year.
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