Stanford started off the season with four straight wins, including a victory over rival USC, and they rose in the polls from No. 13 to No. 7 by the time they met Notre Dame on September 29. They lost, 38–17, which dropped them to No. 14. This began a stretch where in five games they suffered four losses, to Notre Dame, Utah, Washington State and Washington, which dropped them out of the polls and serious contention for the North Division title in the Pac-12. Stanford finished with three straight wins to end their regular season with eight victories. This was the ninth consecutive season of bowl eligibility for the Cardinal, and it was their first Sun Bowl invite since the 2016 edition.
Pittsburgh started their season with four losses in their first seven games, losing to ranked opponents such as Penn State, UCF, and Notre Dame. However, the Panthers pulled off a four game winning streak, including victories over teams such as No. 23 Virginia before closing out their regular season with a loss to Miami. Pittsburgh's 6–2 conference record was good enough for first in the Coastal Division in the ACC, earning them a birth in the ACC Championship Game against No. 2 Clemson, where they were soundly defeated, 42–10. This was the Panthers' first Sun Bowl appearance since the 2008 edition, and tenth bowl appearance in the past eleven seasons.
Util the 1957 season, the Sun Bowl was played in January of the ensuing year (for example, the 1935 season game played in January 1936). Since 1958 (except in 1976), the Sun Bowl is played in December. The 1976 season Sun Bowl was played in January 1977 and the 1977 season Sun Bowl was played in December 1977. No game was held in the 2020 season because of pandemic-related issues.