The 48th annual Independence Bowl game was originally set to feature Marshall and Army. However, Marshall withdrew from the contest after a number of its players entered the NCAA transfer portal.[6]Louisiana Tech was named as Marshall's replacement on December 14.[7] Marshall was subsequently fined $100,000 by their conference, the Sun Belt, for opting out of the bowl.[8]
Teams
The original match-up of Marshall and Army was announced on December 8. However, Marshall withdrew from the game after a plethora of players entered the NCAA transfer portal following the departure of head coach Charles Huff to Southern Miss.[9] Louisiana Tech was selected to replace Marshall.[7]
Louisiana Tech ended their regular season with a 5–7 record (4–4 in conference play). The Bulldogs began the season with four losses in five games, then went 4–4 in their remaining eight games. They did not face any ranked FBS teams. Louisiana Tech plays their home games at Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston, Louisiana, approximately 70 miles (110 km) east of Shreveport, Louisiana, home of the Independence Bowl.
Army played to a 10–1 record (8–0 in conference play) and earned a spot in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game, where they defeated Tulane, 35–14. They then faced Navy in the annual Army–Navy Game and suffered a 31–13 defeat. The only other team to defeat Army was the one ranked team they faced, Notre Dame. Army entered the bowl with an 11–2 record and ranked 22nd in the final College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings, 19th in the AP poll.
