Coach Matt Campbell walked into Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard’s office at 3:04 p.m. on Sunday. He had a smile on his face and sat down at the table surrounded by media.

On the speaker phone were the representatives of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl and they extended an invitation to Campbell and the Iowa State team to play in the bowl on Saturday, Dec. 30. Campbell proudly accepted the invitation.

It’s official. Iowa State is heading to Memphis, Tennessee to take on the Memphis Tigers in the 59th AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

Even though it’s exciting news for the Iowa State community, the Cyclones are in new territory because it’s been five years since their last bowl game. That means it’s also new surroundings for the Iowa State players.

“I grew up watching the Liberty Bowl,” Campbell said. “It’s got great tradition, great history to itself. For our program to be back in the bowl scene, I couldn’t be more fired up and more excited about that opportunity.”

Campbell told his players and staff at a team meeting moments before accepting the invitation in Pollard’s office. He said the players were excited about playing in the Liberty Bowl and playing against an opponent like Memphis.

After Campbell left the meeting, the players went down to the locker room to celebrate with some music and dancing. Redshirt senior, offensive lineman Jake Campos said there were a number of players in the middle dancing, but everyone had a smile on their face.

“I was not dancing. I’m more of a guy that observes the dancing and cheers on the other guys,” Campos said jokingly.

The celebration continued, but soon after, the group of seniors realized they had a lot of work ahead of them to compete at the end of December and end their careers with a win.

None of these seniors have played in a bowl game, so it’s a new environment for everyone. Even though it’s new, the seniors have made sure to take on that responsibility with each other’s leadership.

Redshirt senior linebacker and quarterback Joel Lanning said he hasn’t been to a bowl game as a player, but with the background knowledge he’s developed throughout his time as a college athlete, he believes this senior class can make an impact on the legacy that’s just beginning at Iowa State.

“This is what this senior class has been pushing for over their careers,” Campos said. “We finally made it.”

The seniors have finally made it, but this isn’t the first time Iowa State has been at the Liberty Bowl in program history. The Cyclones have gone to the bowl twice, but both times coming out with the loss.

Former coach Paul Rhoads took Iowa State to the Liberty Bowl in 2012 and lost 31-17 to Tulsa. The first trip to the bowl for the Cyclones was back in 1972 when Johnny Majors was coach and lost 31-30 to Georgia Tech.

Maybe the third time is the charm for Iowa State, but in any sense, Campbell is preparing to give these seniors what they deserve and also build the foundation of a program that’s key for national championships in the future.

“It’s monumental,” Campbell said. “[I want to] take this 2017 team and put a stamp on what their season look likes and what they’re about. That’s the challenge. We got to find the perfect recipe to go out the right way.”

Senior wide receiver Allen Lazard remembers going to the 2012 Liberty Bowl to watch his brother, Anthony Lazard, play as a Cyclone. He remembers the crowd and how the atmosphere was completely different than any regular season game.

He’s going to take that experience as a fan and incorporate it into his practicing and game plan for the upcoming bowl game. In the end, he wants to leave Iowa State with a statement win.

“With the past three years, the failures we’ve had along with the successes,” Lazard said. “To be able to solidify my career here to go out with a win would be very satisfactory.”