The 2022 Citrus Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 2022, with kickoff at 1:00 p.m. EST and televised on ABC. It was the 76th edition of the Citrus Bowl, and was one of the 2021âÂÂ22 bowl games concluding the 2021 FBS football season. Sponsored by Vrbo, a vacation rental marketplace owned by the HomeAway division of Expedia, the game was officially known as the VRBO Citrus Bowl.
In the first meeting between the two programs, the game featured the Kentucky Wildcats of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the Iowa Hawkeyes of the Big Ten Conference. Both teams received and accepted invitations on Sunday, December 5.
The Wildcats entered the Citrus Bowl with a 9âÂÂ3 record (5âÂÂ3 SEC) and a No. 22 ranking in the final CFP poll. Kentucky made its second Citrus Bowl appearance (2019).
The Hawkeyes, winners of the Big Ten West Division, entered the Citrus Bowl with a 10âÂÂ3 record (7âÂÂ2 B1G) and a No. 15 ranking in the final CFP poll. Iowa also made its second Citrus Bowl appearance (2005).