Tournament CEO Says Steps Taken to Ensure Robust Rose Bowl Ticket Sales

In a statement to Pasadena Now on Thursday, Tournament of Roses Chief Executive Officer David Eads said the group has made moves to guarantee robust ticket sales for the Rose Bowl Game even though the timeline for the matchup announcement has changed.

“Since the announcement of the new College Football Playoff (CFP) format, the Tournament of Roses has proactively addressed changes to our schedule as it relates to team selection for the Rose Bowl Game,” Eads said. “While the timeline differs from previous years, we have taken steps to ensure robust ticket sales and high engagement with fans planning to travel to Southern California for New Year’s Day.”

Although Oregon has already secured its place in the “Granddaddy of Them All,” the team’s opponent won’t be known until the conclusion of the Tennessee-Ohio State matchup on Saturday.

In previous years, the matchup was announced in the first week of December, allowing out-of-town fans more time to make travel plans at lower prices.

A City official on Wednesday told Pasadena Now that the City and its partners have been in communication since the restructuring of the college football playoffs first came up many years ago regarding how the current changes and potential changes in the future will impact both the City, its collective hosting organizations, and the region.

According to a joint report produced by the City, the Pasadena Center Operating Company, the Rose Bowl Stadium and Visit Pasadena, the 2024 Tournament of Roses and Rose Bowl Game pumped $245 million of economic impact into the greater Los Angeles area.

“The expanded playoff format has actually created a ticketing model that provides fans with more opportunities to secure tickets to the Rose Bowl Game,” Eads said. “In previous years, the game was a contractual sellout, with the majority of tickets allocated to the Big Ten and Pac-12 Conferences. This year, we launched a ticket presale in August and introduced an exciting new Rose Bowl Game Ticket Experience to broaden our offerings beyond traditional team allocations. The response to these efforts has been overwhelmingly positive, with ticket sales surpassing expectations. We are confident we will achieve a sold-out stadium on January 1.”

Eads said the tournament is working closely with representatives from the University of Oregon and the participating universities in the first-round game (University of Tennessee vs. The Ohio State University), who have confirmed they will fulfill their ticket allotments for the game.

In 2022, tournament officials entered into a deal with the CFP to become part of the playoff expansion. The Rose Bowl Game will also serve as a CFP quarterfinal game in 2026.

The Rose Bowl Game is the oldest currently operating bowl game, having been played since 1902. Nicknamed “The Granddaddy of Them All,” it is arguably the most prestigious bowl game in college football.

The Rose Bowl Game was traditionally played between the champions of the Big Ten Conference and the Pac-12 Conference.

“College football fans have embraced the expanded playoff all season, and that enthusiasm extends to those attending the CFP Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential,” Eads said. “The Granddaddy of Them All remains one of college football’s most anticipated traditions, and we are thrilled to welcome fans from across the country to Pasadena to experience the Rose Bowl Game and ring in the New Year.”