The date and the kickoff are set
The 28th Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl kicks off Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2026 at 2 p.m. Central, 3 p.m. Eastern, inside Nissan Stadium in Nashville. ESPN carries the game nationally. The bowl announced the date and the kickoff time on June 3, 2026.
Nissan Stadium is home to the Tennessee Titans. It holds 68,000 seats on 105 acres on the east bank of the Cumberland River at One Titans Way, Nashville, TN 37213.
The teams are not
The bowl matches a Big Ten Conference team against a Southeastern Conference team, and both participants stay unnamed until selection. The bowl's release says additional details, including participating teams and ticket information, will be released in the months ahead. Plan the trip around the date.
Tickets are not on sale
SeatGeek is the official ticket provider. The bowl's tickets page reads that tickets are not currently for sale for 2026, and the FAQ answers the ticketing question with not currently available. Every ticket sale is final, with no refunds and no exchanges.
A ticket bought through SeatGeek and lost goes to tickets@musiccitybowl.com. A ticket bought through a school goes back to that school, and both schools work the gates on game day at Gates 7 and 10.
The room carries the flexibility
A ticket sale closes the door on refunds. A hotel agreement can carry a cancellation window that you set now and in writing. Hold a room for the night of Wednesday, Dec. 30 while the matchup is open, then buy the seat once the schools are named.
Downtown properties in our own directory
The hotelhuddle directory lists these Nashville properties with street addresses and star ratings.
Drury Plaza Hotel Nashville Downtown, 300 Korean Veterans Blvd, 37201, three stars. Hampton Inn & Suites Nashville Downtown, 310 4th Avenue South, 37201, three stars. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Nashville Downtown, 315 4th Avenue North, 37219, three stars. Canopy by Hilton Nashville Downtown The Gulch, 920 Division Street, 37203, four stars. Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, 2800 Opryland Drive, 37214, four stars.
The bowl's FAQ puts Nissan Stadium about 15 minutes from Gaylord Opryland.
The stadium side follows the conference
The SEC team sits on the east side of the stadium and the Big Ten team sits on the west side. Buy seats after selection and the side is known.
Three bridges carry foot traffic from downtown: the Woodland Street Bridge north of the stadium, the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, and the Korean Veterans Boulevard Bridge south of it. Construction can alter a route, so follow posted signage on the day.
Getting there without a car
Rideshare drops and picks up at two points: Interstate Drive between Woodland Street and Shelby Avenue, and Crutcher Street between S 2nd Street and S 3rd Street. WeGo Public Transit's stop at S 1st Street and Woodland Street serves four routes on event days. Two bike racks sit at Titans Way across from Lot H and at Lot R along S 1st Street.
Parking needs a purchase in advance
On-site parking is not available at Nissan Stadium because of construction around the stadium. Pre-purchase parking near the stadium through PMC. An accessible drop-off and pick-up runs through Lot T, with the ADA lane pass issued on the stadium's own contact form. Head southbound on S 5th Street from Shelby Avenue, turn right on Davidson Street, and have the pass ready for law enforcement.
Game-day rules that shape the trip
Nissan Stadium enforces the NFL clear bag policy. No ticket pass-outs are allowed at any time. Cameras and binoculars enter, and their cases do not. The bowl bans video cameras, coolers, ice chests, cans, bottles, weapons, fireworks, strollers, umbrellas, banners and noisemakers. A small American flag enters without a pole or stick handle.
What to put in the request
Most hotels quote group rates from 10 rooms a night, and some quote from 5. One hotelhuddle request reaches 50 or more hotels in the destination, costs nothing to submit, and draws responses in 24 to 72 hours. You pay the hotel directly, and hotelhuddle adds no markup to the rate.
Ask each property for its cancellation deadline in writing, its deposit terms, and its parking charge on Dec. 30.
The sequence
First, request a refundable room for the night of Dec. 30 and a second night if New Year's Eve belongs in the plan. Second, put the cancellation deadline and any deposit in writing. Third, watch for the bowl's team announcement. Fourth, buy seats on the SEC side or the Big Ten side once the schools are named. Fifth, buy the parking through PMC and settle the walk or the rideshare point.
Where the game sits in the calendar
This is expected to be one of the last major football games played in the current Nissan Stadium. The new stadium next door is projected to open in early 2027. The 2025 edition drew a reported $38.2 million in economic impact across Nashville, and Illinois beat Tennessee 30-28.
The bowl has delivered nearly $450 million in total economic impact since its inception and has welcomed almost 1.5 million fans across 27 years.
Who to call
The bowl office answers at 615-743-3130 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central. Ticket questions go to tickets@musiccitybowl.com.