Old American Conference opponents meet again in an American Conference venue.
The Cincinnati Bearcats (7-5, 5-4 Big 12) will square off against the Navy Midshipmen (9-2, 7-1 American) in the 2025 Liberty
Bowl in Memphis, TN. The game is slated to transpire Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, making it the antepenultimate non-playoff bowl game of the season.
Cincinnati and Navy shared the American Conference from 2015-22 with the Bearcats claiming three out of four matchups during that stretch. The all-time series is 3-3, as the Midshipmen won the 1940 and 1956 matchups decades prior to the two sharing a league.
Cincinnati is bowling for the first time since 2022, for the first time as a Big 12 team, and for the first time under third-year head coach Scott Satterfield. The Bearcats started the season 7-1 and enjoyed national prominence in the rankings, peaking as high as No. 17 in the AP Poll. However, Cincinnati’s perfect September and October were followed by a disastrous 0-4 November. The Bearcats aim to conclude the drought with a season-ending victory in Memphis at a venue they became accustomed to during their American Conference days. Cincinnati also played in the Liberty Bowl in 2011, ousting Vanderbilt in 31-24 fashion in its only other appearance.
Navy is bowling for the second-consecutive season under third-year head coach Brian Newberry. The Midshipmen are seeking a 10-win season for the second year in a row, but even before this January game kicks off, they’ll receive an opportunity at double-digit victories Dec. 13 in the annual Army-Navy Game. The Midshipmen defeated Oklahoma in the 2024 Armed Forces Bowl and ride a 3-game bowl win streak, earning six victories in their last seven postseason appearances. Navy punched a ticket to its third Liberty Bowl all-time, dropping the 1981 contest to Ohio State and triumphing in the 2019 installment vs. Kansas State. The Midshipmen are no strangers to the city of Memphis, also playing six regular season matchups there from 2015-25. In its most recent matchup in Week 14, Navy stormed into Memphis and defeated the Tigers on Thanksgiving, 28-17.
Cincinnati and Navy kick off from Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis at 4:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. CT on Friday, Jan. 2. The game will be televised on ESPN.
