Mizzou Tigers football left out of SEC bowl pool, to play in Armed Forces against Army

The Missouri Tigers are headed to the Armed Forces Bowl.

After finishing the regular season 6-6, Mizzou will play against the Army Black Knights on Wednesday, Dec. 22 in Fort Worth, Texas, it was announced Sunday. The bowl kicks off at 7 p.m. and will air on ESPN.

Dec. 22 is the same day of the men’s basketball’s team’s annual Braggin’ Rights game against Illinois, set to be played in St. Louis. That game tips off at 8 p.m. and will air on the Big Ten Network.

This will be the first bowl appearance for the MU football program since 2018, when it played in the Liberty Bowl. The Tigers were supposed to play in the Music City Bowl in Nashville last season but never did because of COVID-19 issues within the team.

Thirteen SEC teams were eligible to play in a bowl this season. Outside of the College Football Playoff and New Year’s Six games, the Southeastern Conference has agreements to send teams to six SEC Bowl Pool games. As one of five teams that finished the regular season .500, Mizzou was left out of the fold for those pool games, along with Auburn and Florida.

Army, which plays as an independent, has a 8-3 record and finishes the regular season against Navy on Saturday. The Black Knights, known for their triple-option offense, are averaging 301.2 rushing yards per game — second-best in the nation.

This matchup will mark the fifth meeting between the Missouri and Army programs. The Tigers hold a 3-1 advantage in the series, most recently taking a 23-10 win on Sept. 11, 1982 in Columbia.

Missouri is 15-18 in bowls and is seeking its first win since 2015. Fans can request tickets through the MU athletic website or by calling 800-228-7297.