| Game Name: | Redbox Bowl |
| Subheader: | 18th Redbox Bowl |
| Date Game Played: | December 30 |
| Year Game Played: | 2019 |
| Football Season: | 2019 |
| Stadium: | Levi's Stadium |
| City: | Santa Clara, California |
| Visitor Name Short: | California |
| Visitor Nickname: | Golden Bears |
| Visitor Record: | 7–5 |
| Visitor Conference: | Pac-12 |
| Visitor Coach: | Justin Wilcox |
| Visitor 1Q: | 7 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 14 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 7 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 7 |
| Home Name Short: | Illinois |
| Home Nickname: | Fighting Illini |
| Home Record: | 6–6 |
| Home Conference: | Big Ten |
| Home Coach: | Lovie Smith |
| Home 1Q: | 10 |
| Home 2Q: | 3 |
| Home 3Q: | 0 |
| Home 4Q: | 7 |
| Mvp: | Chase Garbers (QB, Cal) & Zeandae Johnson (DE, Cal)[1] |
| Odds: | California by 6[2] |
| Referee: | Matt Loeffler (SEC)[3] |
| Attendance: | 34,177 |
| Payout: | 3,600,000[4] |
| Us Network: | Fox |
| Us Announcers: | Joe Davis (play-by-play) Brock Huard (analyst) Bruce Feldman (sideline) |
The 2019 Redbox Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 30, 2019, with kickoff at 4:00 p.m. EST (1:00 p.m. local PDT) on Fox.[5] It was the 18th and final edition of the Redbox Bowl, though only the second under the current name, and was one of the 2019–20 bowl games concluding the 2019 FBS football season. The game was sponsored by Redbox, a DVD and video game rental company.
The game was played between the California Golden Bears from the Pac-12 Conference and the Illinois Fighting Illini from the Big Ten Conference. This was the 11th meeting between the programs; Illinois led the all-time series, 7–3.[6]
See main article: 2019 California Golden Bears football team. California entered the bowl with a 7–5 record (4–5 in conference). The Golden Bears finished in a three-way tie for second place in the Pac-12's North Division. They were 1–2 against ranked teams, defeating Washington while losing to Oregon and Utah. This was California's second Redbox Bowl; their 2008 team won the then-Emerald Bowl over Miami (FL), 24–17.
See main article: 2019 Illinois Fighting Illini football team. Illinois entered the bowl with a 6–6 record (4–5 in conference). The Fighting Illini finished in fourth place of the West Division of the Big Ten. They were also 1–2 against ranked teams, defeating Wisconsin while losing to Michigan and Iowa. This was also Illinois' second Redbox Bowl; their 2011 team won the then-Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl over UCLA, 20–14.