Notre Dame, making their first appearance in the Citrus Bowl, was the designated visiting team.
This was the fourth bowl meeting between the Fighting Irish and Tigers, with LSU winning twice previously, and Notre Dame once.
Notre Dame and LSU met eight times in the regular season between 1970 and 1998, with the Irish holding a 5–3 edge.
Their two SEC losses were to Mississippi State and Alabama (who was ranked number one in the AP Poll at the time).
However, the 2019 Fighting Irish played in the Camping World Bowl in the same stadium, defeating Iowa State 33–9.