Rose Bowl Game to Remain New Year’s Day College Football Playoff Quarterfinal in 2027, 2028

The Rose Bowl will continue to serve as a College Football Playoff quarterfinal on New Year’s Day for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, preserving the game’s traditional afternoon time slot under the CFP’s new postseason schedule.

The CFP on Tuesday announced the dates and sites for quarterfinal and semifinal games for the next two seasons, confirming that the Rose Bowl will remain the New Year’s Day afternoon anchor in a tripleheader that also includes the Cotton Bowl and Peach Bowl on Jan. 1, 2027, and 2028.

College football’s oldest bowl game, the Rose Bowl has been played almost exclusively in Pasadena on Jan. 1 since 1917, with rare exceptions to host national championship games. CFP officials agreed to preserve the game’s traditional date and time after Rose Bowl representatives pushed to remain part of the quarterfinal rotation while keeping their historic place on the calendar.

Although Tuesday’s announcement formally covers only the first two seasons of the new six-year agreement, the Rose Bowl is expected to remain a New Year’s Day quarterfinal for the duration of the contract.

The Rose Bowl Game continues to hold prestige.

The game was a ratings boon this year. On average 23.9 million people watched the game, making it the most-watched game of the 12-team college playoff era. Ratings were up 13% from the previous year and it was the fourth most-watched Rose Bowl Game ever.

Several coaches want the game to serve as the National Championship Game every year.

Quarterfinal play for the 2026 season will begin Dec. 30 at the Fiesta Bowl, followed by three games on Jan. 1.

Kickoff times have not been finalized, but the Rose Bowl is expected to retain its customary mid-afternoon Eastern Time slot.

Under the schedule, the Orange Bowl will host a semifinal on Jan. 14, with the Sugar Bowl hosting the other semifinal on Jan. 15. The national championship game will be played Jan. 25 in Las Vegas.

The CFP field will remain at 12 teams in 2026 after the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference failed to reach agreement on expanding the playoff.

Games prior to the quarterfinals will continue to be played at campus sites, though CFP officials have ruled out extending home-site games to the quarterfinal round during the six-year media agreement with ESPN that begins this season.

The CFP also released its postseason outline for the 2027 season. Quarterfinals will begin Dec. 31 at the Sugar Bowl, followed by Jan. 1 games at the Fiesta, Rose and Peach bowls. Semifinals are scheduled for Jan. 13, 2028, at the Orange Bowl and Jan. 14 at the Cotton Bowl, with the national championship game set for Jan. 24, 2028, in New Orleans.