LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech formally accepted its 41st bowl invitation in school history Sunday as the Red Raiders will face the Cal Golden Bears in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl on Dec. 16 from Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. Kickoff is slated for 8:15 p.m. CT on ESPN.

“Texas Tech is honored to accept an invitation to play in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl,” Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt said. “We look forward to bringing Red Raider Nation to the state of Louisiana for our first trip to Shreveport in more than two decades. We can’t encourage our fans and alumni in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and East Texas areas enough to join us in Shreveport for a great matchup against Cal.”

This will be Texas Tech’s third appearance all-time in the Independence Bowl and its first since 1998. The Red Raiders have faced Ole Miss in both of their previous two trips to Shreveport, falling to the Rebels, 20-17, in their debut under legendary head coach Spike Dykes in 1986 and then again in 1998, their final bowl appearance during Dykes’ 13-year tenure.

Texas Tech’s matchup against Cal will mark the second meeting all-time between the two schools, who last faced each other in the 2004 Holiday Bowl. That bowl remains one of the most-memorable postseason victories in school history as the Red Raiders knocked off the fourth-ranked Golden Bears, 45-31, for their first-ever win over a top-five team away from home at the time.

“On behalf of our entire program, we are excited to face a talented Cal program in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl,” head coach Joey McGuire said. “This will be a tremendous opportunity for many of our players to play in one of the nation’s longest-running bowl games. We look forward to the trip to Shreveport and the opportunity to play in front of Red Raider Nation one last time this season.”

The trip to the Independence Bowl will be a homecoming for two Red Raiders who hail from Shreveport in senior outside linebacker Myles Cole and freshman defensive back Macho Stevenson. The Red Raiders have two other freshmen who hail from the state of Louisiana in defensive lineman Tre’Darius Brown and linebacker Justin Horne.