The ReliaQuest Bowl has become a New Year’s Eve staple in Tampa, pairing power programs from the SEC and Big Ten in a warm-weather clash that feels part vacation and part high-stakes football exam. Born from the lineage of the old Hall of Fame and Outback Bowl, the game now anchors a week of events along the Gulf Coast, featuring team outings and fan pep rallies throughout the Tampa Bay area. Fans hunting for ReliaQuest Bowl tickets know they are signing up for marching bands, school colors everywhere, and a postseason sendoff that feels like a celebration of the entire season. Secure your ReliaQuest Bowl tickets with Event Tickets Center and get ready for a Florida Bowl trip that brings the sunshine and the stakes!
The ReliaQuest Bowl game for the 2025 season features a fresh SEC versus Big Ten matchup as the Iowa Hawkeyes face the Vanderbilt Commodores at Raymond James Stadium. Iowa enters at 8–4 after another grind-it-out Big Ten campaign, while Vanderbilt arrives at 10–2 with a top-15 ranking and a reputation for an explosive offense led by Heisman-caliber quarterback play. It is Iowa’s seventh appearance in this Tampa bowl and Vanderbilt’s first, which adds a little extra intrigue as a seasoned ReliaQuest regular meets an upstart contender eager to close its breakout year with a statement win.
For anyone asking when is the ReliaQuest Bowl, the 2025 edition kicks off at noon Eastern on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The bowl caps a week-long schedule around Tampa Bay, with team practices, community visits, and fan events building anticipation before both fan bases converge on New Year’s Eve afternoon. With the ReliaQuest Bowl game slotted alongside other marquee postseason matchups, travelers can easily plan travel and sightseeing around a clear kickoff window that lets them roll straight from the final whistle into New Year’s celebrations.
Raymond James Stadium gives the ReliaQuest Bowl a big-time stage, with a modern seating capacity of roughly 69,000 for football and the ability to expand for special events. Home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and South Florida Bulls, the multipurpose venue has already hosted Super Bowls and a College Football Playoff National Championship, so it is built for major neutral-site games like this one. Fans using a Raymond James Stadium seating chart will see broad lower-bowl sidelines, end-zone sections near the pirate ship, midlevel club areas with extra amenities, and upper-deck seats that frame the full field and fan sections in one view. No matter where you land, the design keeps you close enough to feel the bands, hear the pads, and soak in the New Year’s Eve atmosphere under Florida skies.
New Year’s Eve in Tampa, a Big Ten versus SEC clash, and a bowl with decades of history make the ReliaQuest Bowl one of the most appealing postseason trips on the calendar. With Iowa and Vanderbilt set to collide in a rare meeting, fans can expect contrasting styles, marching-band battles, and a sendoff to the 2025 season that feels bigger than a typical bowl. Grab your ReliaQuest Bowl tickets from Event Tickets Center today and be in the stands when Tampa’s New Year’s Eve kickoff brings the season to a dramatic close!