South Carolina to Play Illinois in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl

University of South Carolina Football has accepted a bid to play in the 2024 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against the University of Illinois, Florida Citrus Sports announced today.

The 79th edition of the game will kick off at 3 pm ET on Tuesday, Dec. 31, from Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. The game will be televised nationally on ABC.

“We are extremely excited to return to Orlando and play in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl,” said South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer. “It’s a great destination for our fans and I look forward to the Garnet & Black taking over Orlando. I know our players will be ready for the challenge of playing Illinois for the first time and looking for our 10th win of the season.”

The Gamecocks finished the 2024 regular season with a 9-3 record, including a 5-3 mark in the SEC, and finished 15th in the final College Football Playoff rankings. The Fighting Illini also posted a 9-3 overall record and went 6-3 in the Big Ten to finish 20th in the CFP. This will mark the first gridirion meeting between the two state flagship universities.

“The Citrus Bowl is one of the great bowl games and destinations,” said South Carolina Athletics Director Ray Tanner. “This is a great reward for our players, coaches and football staff for an outstanding season. I know Gamecock Nation will be excited to watch this team compete one more time against an excellent Illinois team coached by Bret Bielema.”

South Carolina will be making its fourth trip to a bowl game in Orlando and its first since the end of the 2013 season. The Gamecocks dropped a 20-7 decision to Miami (Ohio) in the Tangerine Bowl, played on Dec. 20, 1975, then won twice in the Capital One Bowl, defeating Nebraska by a 30-13 score on Jan. 2, 2012, and topping Wisconsin on Jan. 1, 2014, by a 34-24 score.

Gamecock Club members will receive an email with information on how to request tickets for the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. All other fans should purchase tickets directly from the bowl.