This was first bowl game played on Christmas Day since the 2003 Hawaii Bowl.[7] Christmas Day college football had previously been played at the Cramton Bowl from 1979 to 2001 in the form of the Blue-Gray Football Classic. It was one of two bowl games, along with the inaugural Montgomery Bowl, that were played at the Cramton Bowl following the 2020 college football season.
The Camellia Bowl was contested by the Buffalo Bulls, from the Mid-American Conference (MAC), and the Marshall Thundering Herd, from Conference USA (C-USA).[8] The programs had previously met nine times, with Marshall leading the series, 8–1; their most recent meeting had been a 48–14 win by Marshall in 2004.[9] This was the programs' first meeting in a bowl game,[9] and the first Camellia Bowl for both teams.
Buffalo
Buffalo of the MAC accepted their bowl bid on December 20, 2020.[10] The Bulls entered the bowl with an overall record of 5–1 (5–0 in conference play). They won the MAC East division and competed in the MAC Championship Game, where they lost to Ball State.
Marshall
Marshall from C-USA accepted their bowl bid on December 20, 2020.[11] The Thundering Herd entered the bowl with an overall record of 7–2 (4–1 in conference play); they were ranked at number 15 in the AP Poll at the end of November.