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Postseason college football bowl game
College football game
Consistent with conference tie-ins, the game featured the Buffalo Bulls from Mid-American Conference (MAC) and Liberty Flames from the Conference USA (C-USA). The teams had previously met three times, between 1998 and 2023, with Liberty winning each of those games.
Buffalo compiled an 8–4 regular season record (6–2 in MAC play). After playing to a 4–4 record through eight games, the Bulls concluded their schedule with four consecutive wins. Buffalo faced two ranked FBS teams, losing to Missouri while defeating Northern Illinois.
Liberty posted an overall record of 8–3 in regular-season games (5–3 in C-USA play). The Flames had one game canceled, against Appalachian State, due to Hurricane Helene. Liberty began their season with five consecutive wins, then went 3–3 in their final six games. The Flames did not face any ranked opponents.
Liberty's starting quarterback, Kaidon Salter, and running back, Quinton Cooley, both opted out of the game. Salter had committed to play at Colorado in 2025 and Cooley chose to focus on preparing for the 2025 NFL Draft.