In 1996 and 1997 , the opponent for the C-USA champion was a team from the Big East . In 1998 , the Liberty Bowl replaced the Holiday Bowl in a shared contract with the Cotton Bowl and had second choice between the WAC champion and a team from the SEC . From 1999 to 2005 , the opponent for the C-USA champion was the Mountain West champion . There were two exceptions : In 1999 , the Mountain West Conference did not have an outright champion , as three teams tied for the conference lead . The conference 's bid for the game was given to Colorado State
Big East
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
Liberty Bowl