South Carolina, Illinois to meet in Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31 at Camping World Stadium

No. 15 Gamecocks and No. 20 Fighting Illini to play in Orlando at 3 p.m. ET on New Year’s Eve

ORLANDO, Florida (Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024) — The South Carolina Gamecocks and Illinois Fighting Illini will square off in this season’s Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, Florida Citrus Sports announced Sunday. The game will kick off at 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Dec. 31, at Camping World Stadium and will air live on ABC.

No. 15 South Carolina (9-3, 5-3 SEC) will be making its fourth all-time appearance in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, and its first since a 34-24 win over Wisconsin to close the 2013-14 season. The Gamecocks also appeared in the Jan. 2, 2012 Citrus Bowl, a 30-13 win over Nebraska, and the 1975 game, a 20-7 defeat to Miami (Ohio).

No. 20 Illinois (9-3, 6-3 Big Ten) will be appearing in the game for the second time and first since quarterback and game MVP Jeff George led the team to a 31-21 win over Virginia on New Year’s Day 1990.

The Gamecocks and Illini have never met on the gridiron.

This season’s Cheez-It Citrus Bowl will be the 79th edition of the game, an annual matchup of top SEC and Big Ten teams since 1993. Last season, Tennessee defeated Iowa 35-0 in the second edition of the Citrus Bowl to feature Cheez-It as a title sponsor.

Cheez-It Citrus Bowl tickets are available now. Click here or visit CheezItCitrusBowl.com to buy or to learn more about group, premium, Family Fun Play and other ticket offers.