The Wolfpack finished in third place in the Atlantic Division with a 4–4 record, resulting in the firing of head coach Tom O'Brien after the season; assistant coach Dana Bible will coach the Wolfpack in the bowl game.
This will be the Wolfpack's first Music City Bowl.
The Commodores' season, on the other hand, was one of their more successful in recent history; finishing in fourth place in the SEC's Eastern Division with a 5–3 record, the Commodores accepted the bid to their hometown Music City Bowl.
This will be the Commodores' second Music City bowl; previously, they had played in the 2008 game, defeating the Boston College Eagles by a score of 16–14. It is also the first time the Commodores have ever been to a bowl game in consecutive seasons; the previous season saw them reach the 2011 Liberty Bowl, losing to the Cincinnati Bearcats by a score of 31–24.