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Consistent with conference tie-ins, the game featured the UTSA Roadrunners from the American Athletic Conference (The American or AAC), and the Marshall Thundering Herd from the Sun Belt Conference. This was the fourth all-time meeting between Marshall and UTSA; Marshall entered the game leading the series, 2–1. The Thundering Herd and Roadrunners were both members of Conference USA (CUSA) prior to the Thundering Herd joining the Sun Belt in 2022 and the Roadrunners joining the AAC in 2023.
The Thundering Herd started the season hot, winning their first four games including a victory over Power Five for Virginia Tech. However, the Herd then had a five-game losing streak, with all but one of the losses being by two scores or more. Heading into the final week of the regular season, the Herd sat at 5–6 and needed a victory over Arkansas State to clinch bowl eligibility, which they managed to do behind a five-touchdown game from Cam Fancher to finish the season with a record of 6–6.
This was Marshall's first appearance in the Frisco Bowl.
Coming off a CUSA title by the 2022 Roadrunners, UTSA returned quarterback Frank Harris for its first season in The American. UTSA started the season 1–3, with Harris missing two games due to suffering a turf toe injury. However, the Roadrunners roared back to win their first seven games of conference play upon Harris' return, setting up a key game in Week 13 against Tulane. Behind a 16-point second quarter, Tulane defeated UTSA, 29–16, earning the right to play in the AAC Championship Game, while UTSA finished third in the conference. Harris suffered a shoulder injury in the Tulane game that kept him out of the bowl game. The Roadrunners entered the Frisco Bowl with a record of 8–4.
This was UTSA's second Frisco Bowl appearance, joining San Diego State as the only teams to appear in multiple Frisco Bowls. The Roadrunners appeared in, and lost, the 2021 Frisco Bowl.