The game featured the Rutgers Scarlet Knights of the American Athletic Conference against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. It was originally set to feature the Big 12 Conference's seventh bowl-eligible team; however, the conference had only six bowl-eligible teams, leading to Notre Dame accepting the at-large bid. This was the final game with the two conference tie-ins which had been in place since the bowl's inception in 2010, as from 2014 until at least 2019, the tie-ins will belong to the Big Ten Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference. However, both Rutgers and Notre Dame could hypothetically return to the game under the new format, as the Scarlet Knights will be a member of the Big Ten and the Fighting Irish, as a non-football member of the ACC, will have access to the conference's sub-College Football Playoff "New Year's Six" bowl arrangements.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
After the previous season saw the Scarlet Knights win the Big East Conference's co-championship with a 9–4 overall record, expectations diminished slightly for the next season, in particular with the influx of new teams joining the conference, which by season's beginning had transformed into the American Athletic Conference. While the Scarlet Knights' struggles were tougher than expected, finishing 3–5 in conference play, they managed to finish at 6–6 with a 31–6 victory over the South Florida Bulls in the season's final game, after which bowl director Mark Holtzman extended an invitation to play in the game. This will be the Scarlet Knights' second Pinstripe Bowl; Rutgers had previously won the 2011 game, defeating the Iowa State Cyclones by a score of 27–13. In addition, it will be Rutgers' final game as a member of the American before moving to the Big Ten Conference for 2014.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
After the success of the previous season which led to a berth in the 2013 BCS National Championship Game, the Irish's expectations were moderately scaled back because of various departures. However, the Irish still managed a winning season at 8–4 overall, after which bowl director Mark Holtzman extended an invitation to play in the game. Although this will be Notre Dame's first Pinstripe Bowl, the Fighting Irish are no strangers to Yankee Stadium or its predecessor. The Irish best remember Yankee Stadium as a frequent battleground for their rivalry with the Army Black Knights, it being the site of their games from 1923–1946, as well as in 1969 and 2010, with notable matchups including the famous "Win one for the Gipper" game in 1926, which saw the Irish triumph by a score of 7–0, as well as the 1946 "Game of the Century" between #2 Notre Dame and #1 Army which ended in a scoreless tie. Overall, the Irish are 15–5–3 in said games at Yankee Stadium.
Following the revelation that several Notre Dame player's had academically cheated during their time on the football team, the NCAA ruled that Notre Dame's wins from the 2012 and 2013 seasons would be vacated, including the Pinstripe Bowl win.
