For the first time in five years, Ole Miss is putting on their bowling shoes.

The Rebels accepted a bid to play No. 7 Indiana in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 2, 2021. The game will be held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

When the Rebels (4-5) tee up against the Hoosiers (6-1) it will officially be 1,828 days since they played in a bowl game. The last time Ole Miss played in the postseason was in the 2016 Sugar Bowl against Oklahoma State on Jan. 1.

“Taking this team back to a bowl game is a good first step in our progression toward building a championship program,” said Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin on Sunday. “We look forward to representing our university on this national stage against a top-10 opponent in Indiana. The Outback Bowl is a premier postseason destination, and I’m excited for our players to experience this trip.”

There are several storylines tied into this matchup, including current Indiana head coach Tom Allen facing the Rebels. Allen was an assistant coach under Hugh Freeze from 2012 to 2014.

The Hoosiers find themselves heading to Tampa after being ranked No. 11 in the final College Football Playoff rankings. Their lone setback in 2020 was to No. 3 Ohio State when they lost, 42-35, to the Buckeyes on Nov. 21.

Kiffin finds himself returning to Tampa, a city where his father Monte Kiffin served as the defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2008. The elder Kiffin is credited with creating the Tampa 2 defensive scheme.

“Tampa is a special place for our family,” Kiffin said. “My parents spent many years there, and I attended a number of games in the Big Sombrero when I was younger. It will be great to be back in the Bay.”

Ole Miss wrapped up their 2020 regular season on Saturday in a 53-48 loss to LSU in Baton Rouge, La.

The Rebels and Hoosier will kickoff the Outback Bowl at 12:30 p.m ET on Jan. 2.