Virginia, a day after losing its chance to make the College Football Playoff, on Sunday accepted a bid to play Missouri, of the Southeastern Conference, in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, the school announced.

The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 27 in Jacksonville, Florida, at EverBank Stadium — home of the Jacksonville Jaguars — and will be televised on ABC.

The Cavaliers (10-3) lost 27-20 to Duke in Saturday night’s ACC championship game and fell out of contention for a CFP spot. UVA is bowl-eligible for the first time since 2021 and will appear in the Gator Bowl for the third time, after appearances in 1991 and 2008.

“We’re proud to be the Atlantic Coast Conference’s representative in the Gator Bowl,” UVA director of athletics Carla Williams said in a statement. “What Coach (Tony) Elliott, the football staff and the student-athletes have accomplished this year has been historic on many levels. This gives us yet another opportunity to showcase Virginia football on a national stage and I’m excited to have our fans join us in Florida to support the Hoos.”

Virginia has won 10 games for just the second time in program history, matching a school record set in 1989. The Cavaliers finished first in the ACC regular-season standings for the first time and are ranked 20th in the latest Associated Press Top 25.

UVA and Missouri have played once before, with the Tigers winning 31-7 in 1973.

https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/12/07/uva-accepts-invite-to-play-missouri-in-taxslayer-gator-bowl/