The 1998 Independence Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

This section does not cite any sources. (March 2020)

The Rebels had plummeted to fourth in the SEC West after losing their last three games, including one to Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. Tuberville left the team prior to the bowl game for Auburn, leaving the coaching duties to David Cutcliffe, hired on December 2. Meanwhile, the Red Raiders were third in the Big 12 South Division after losing four of their last five games. This was the first Independence Bowl for both teams since 1986, which Mississippi won, 20-17. This was the first Independence Bowl featuring a Big 12 team, and the first to be sponsored by Sanford, a leading manufacturer and marketer of writing instruments.

The Rebels returned to the Independence Bowl the following year. The Red Raiders wouldn't return to the Independence Bowl until 2023.

In an adjacent development, Tuberville would end up coaching Texas Tech from 2010−12.