Rose Bowl to Host CFP Quarterfinal Games in 2024 and 2025, Date of Games Unknown

According to a statement by the College Football Playoff, the Rose Bowl will host CFP quarterfinal games in 2024 and 2025.

The CFP announced that for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, the four quarterfinal games and two playoff semifinal games will be played in bowl games on a rotating basis. 

However, that doesn’t appear to the case for the Grandaddy of Them All in 2024 and 2025.

The 2024 quarterfinals will take place in the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Sugar Bowl, while the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl will host the Playoff Semifinals. 

The 2025 quarterfinals will take place in the Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl. the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl will host the Playoff Semifinals. 

The site does not list the Rose Bowl Game as hosting the quarterfinals but only says the game will take place in the stadium.

Dates for the quarterfinals were not provided. 

“The City of Pasadena is thrilled that the Tournament of Roses has reached an agreement with the College Football Playoff (CFP) that will ensure the Rose Bowl Game will be a part of the expanded CFP in 2024-25 and 2025-26 at the Rose Bowl Stadium on New Year’s Day,” said Pasadena Public Information Lisa Derderian. “The City and the Rose Bowl Operating Company will continue to support and partner with the Tournament to provide a world-class experience for the participating teams, fans and global audience.”

Eight teams will play in the first round in 2024 during the week ending Saturday, Dec. 21.

The Tournament of Roses agreed to terms with the CFP on Wednesday, but those terms have not been revealed.  City officials were updated in a meeting with the City Manager and the tournament. 

The Rose Bowl was the last matter to be resolved before the CFP announced its plans to triple the teams in the playoffs from four to two.

Officials at the Tournament of Roses wanted to maintain the Jan. 1 date and 2 p.m. start time for the game, which keeps the game tethered to the Rose Parade.

The CFP wants a system that will focus on the contest more than the tradition of the bowl games. Under that system, the CFP would move the bowl games to different dates and start times from year to year.

But there is an agreement between the City and the tournament that defines the game. According to that agreement, the game must be played in the iconic stadium on Jan. 1 or Jan. 2 if Jan. 1 falls on a Sunday.

That agreement has not been amended, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. 

If the CFP hopes to change that, it must meet not just with the Tournament of Roses, but also with City officials and to date no such meetings have been held.

Elected officials contacted by Pasadena Now on Wednesday said they wanted the game to remain at its traditional date and time.

“I am optimistic that the Tournament and the College Football Playoff will reach an agreement that meets the needs of the Tournament, the City, and the CFP,” Council Member Steve Madison told Pasadena Now on Wednesday. “As the owner of the game, the Tournament is handling these negotiations with the CFP.  As the owner of the stadium [and all of the real property where Pasadena’s New Year’s Day activities take place], the City and the RBOC are, of course, intently interested and highly invested in seeing a workable solution come together.” 

It is possible that the CFP quarterfinal game and the Rose Bowl Game could be played in Pasadena. 

In the past, the stadium has hosted the Rose Bowl Game and the National Championship Game days later.

During the pandemic, the CFP moved the game from Pasadena to Arlington, Tx. without contacting officials at City Hall.

The move soured the relationship between the tournament and the City and led to a lawsuit that was eventually won by the City.

“We’re delighted to be moving forward,” said Bill Hancock, Executive Director of the College Football Playoff in a statement Thursday morning. 

“When the board expanded the playoff beginning in 2026 and asked the CFP Management Committee to examine the feasibility of starting the new format earlier, the Management Committee went right to work. More teams and more access mean more excitement for fans, alumni, students and student-athletes. We appreciate the leaders of the six bowl games and the two future national championship game host cities for their cooperation. Everyone realized that this change is in the best interest of college football and pulled together to make it happen.”