The 36th edition of the Holiday Bowl, it featured the Texas Tech Red Raiders of the Big 12 Conference and the Arizona State Sun Devils of the Pac-12 Conference.
Although both the Red Raiders and Sun Devils were members of the Border Conference from 1932–1956, neither team faced the other until the 1999 season when both universities were members of their current athletic conferences.
The Arizona State Sun Devils won the South Division Championship of the Pac-12 Conference after they defeated the UCLA Bruins on November 23, 2013.
Earlier in the season, the Sun Devils lost to the Cardinal 28–42, and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 34–37.
Texas Tech, along with Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Stanford, are the only teams to face four ranked opponents in AP Poll in the teams' final six games.