MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Countless events have been forced to cancel due to COVID-19. But the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, one of Memphis' marquee annual moments--and one of the oldest bowl games in the country--has endured.
The 62nd annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl will be held Thursday afternoon, West Virginia will kick off against Army with 12,000 fans expected to attend.
Nine days ago, the AutoZone Liberty Bowl learned that its SEC team, Tennessee, had to drop out of the game due to positive COVID-19 tests within the Vols program. The game was in danger of joining eighteen bowls that have already cancelled in 2020. One such bowl was Army's original game, the Independence Bowl, allowing for a seamless last-minute replacement.
"It's really an honor just to have a bowl," Army running back Sandon McCoy. "We're very fortunate that West Virginia is willing to play us."
"The Liberty Bowl is a great bowl, there are many great teams, many quality programs who have played in it," Army offensive lineman Mike Johnson said. "To have that spot in there as well is just something that we can kind of pride ourselves on and use it to motivate us through the preparation for this week.
Typically, bowl week is accompanied by events, parades, etc. There is none of that this year. The Black Knights and the Mountaineers made a quiet and soggy arrival Wednesday, just 24 hours before kickoff.
"It's unfortunate that we won't be able to experience the city of Memphis or have the full experience of a bowl," West Virginia head coach Neal Brown said. "But we're looking forward to taking the field and playing against a quality opponent to finish the season."