CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The #20 Illinois football team has accepted an invitation to play in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida, it was announced Sunday. Illinois will play #15 South Carolina at Camping World Stadium on Tuesday, Dec. 31, at 2 p.m. CT on ABC.
The Illini qualified for the 21st bowl game in program history and the Illini’s second New Year’s bowl in Florida in the last three seasons, along with the 2023 ReliaQuest Bowl. Illinois will return to the Citrus Bowl for the first time since the 1989 season, when RB Howard Griffith and QB Jeff George led the Fighting Illini to a 31-21 victory over Virginia in the 1990 Citrus Bowl.
“The University of Illinois is honored to accept today’s invitation to play in the 2024 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, and we would like to thank Florida Citrus Sports and CEO Steve Hogan for this tremendous opportunity,” said Director of Athletics Josh Whitman. “Playing in such a prestigious, tradition-rich bowl game is a well-earned reward for our football team, which, with nine wins and a Top 20 national ranking, has notched one of the greatest seasons in program history. Since his arrival four years ago, Coach Bielema has remained steadfast in his championship vision for Illinois Football, tirelessly ‘stacking days’ and raising expectations throughout the Smith Center and, truly, all of DIA. His leadership, combined with a matching commitment from our coaches, staff, and players, has propelled this program to new heights, including now a second New Year’s bowl game in three seasons. We hope the entire Illini FamILLy will make plans to join us in Orlando for beautiful weather, fun-filled activities, and an exciting ballgame against an outstanding South Carolina team.”
Illinois (9-3, 6-3 Big Ten) will look for win #10 on the season, which would tie the program record for wins in a season. The Illini won nine or more regular-season games for the eighth time in program history and have been ranked in the AP Top 25 for 11 weeks, tied for Illinois’ third-most ranked weeks ever behind only the 1989 (16) and 1990 (17) seasons.
The Illini were ranked #20 in Sunday’s College Football Playoff rankings, Illinois’ fourth straight week appearing in the CFP Top 25. Illinois came in at #21 in the AP Top 25.
Illinois’ trip to Orlando will be a homecoming for 17 Illini that hail from Florida, including nearly a dozen starters. Illinois’ 17 players from the Sunshine State represent the most of any Big Ten program.
“Thank you to Florida Citrus Sports and CEO Steve Hogan for the invitation to this year’s Cheez-It Citrus Bowl,” said head coach Bret Bielema. “Our players are excited to experience a first-class bowl game with a national spotlight against a quality SEC opponent in South Carolina. This will be a great reward for our players, staff, and fans to finish the 2024 season on New Year’s Eve and send us into 2025. Thank you to Josh Whitman, the administration in DIA, the University of Illinois community, and all of our Fighting Illini fans that helped our program reach this point. We will see all the Illini FamILLy in Orlando.”
Bielema’s first career bowl game as a head coach was at the Citrus Bowl, then called the Capital One Bowl, when he took his 2006 Wisconsin team to Orlando and beat Arkansas, 17-14, on Jan. 1, 2007. In 16 years as a head coach, Bielema has led 12 of his teams – including this year’s Illinois squad – to bowl games.
For more information about Illinois’ trip to the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, visit FightingIllini.com/CitrusBowl.
Ticket Info
Illini fans can now submit their ticket requests to the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl at FightingIllini.com. Ticket requests will be accepted until Friday, December 13, at 4 p.m. CT. For more information on ticket requests, visit FightingIllini.com/CitrusBowl.
