AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State football team (7-5, 6-3 Big 12) has accepted an invitation to play in the 65^th AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee. It will be the sixth bowl game in the last seven seasons and the 18^th bowl appearance in school history.

Iowa State will face Memphis (9-3, 6-2 AAC) on Friday, Dec. 29 at 2:30 p.m. CT at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. ESPN will broadcast the game. Iowa State is 1-0 all time against Memphis, defeating the Tigers, 21-20, in the 2017 AutoZone Liberty Bowl. 

Iowa State tied for fourth place in the Big 12 Conference after earning six victories against league foes. It marks just the third time in school history that the Cyclones have won six league games, all of which have come under Matt Campbell’s direction.

This will be ISU’s fourth appearance in the Liberty Bowl. The Cyclones are 1-2 in the bowl: 1972 lost to Georgia Tech, 31-30; 2012 lost to Tulsa, 31-17; 2017 defeated Memphis, 21-20. 

Iowa State has a 5-12 all-time record in bowl games. Eighth-year head coach Matt Campbell has the most bowl appearances among ISU skippers as the Cyclones head to their sixth bowl game of his tenure.