| Rose Bowl Game | |
|---|---|
| Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential | |
| The Granddaddy of Them All | |
 | |
| Stadium | Rose Bowl |
| Location | Pasadena, California |
| Previous stadiums | Tournament Park (1902, 1916–1922) |
| Temporary venue | Duke Stadium, Durham, North Carolina (1942)[a] AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas (2021)[b] |
| Operated | 1902, 1916–present |
| Championship affiliation | |
| Conference tie-ins | Big Ten (1947–present) |
| Previous conference tie-ins | Pac-12 (1917–2023) |
| Payout | US$35 million/conference (As of 2016[update])[2] |
| Sponsors | |
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| Former names | |
| |
| 2023 season matchup | |
| Michigan vs. Alabama (Michigan 27–20OT) | |
| 2024 season matchup | |
| (January 1, 2025) | |
The Rose Bowl Game is an annual American college football bowl game, traditionally played on January 1 (New Year's Day) at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2. Nicknamed "The Granddaddy of Them All" by broadcaster Keith Jackson, it was the first postseason football game ever established.[3] The Rose Bowl Game was first played in 1902 as the Tournament East–West football game, and has been played annually since 1916. Since 1945, it has been the highest attended college football bowl game.[4] The game is a part of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association's "America's New Year Celebration", which also includes the historic Rose Parade. Winners of the game receive the Leishman Trophy, named for former Tournament of Roses presidents, William L. Leishman and Lathrop K. Leishman who played an important part in the history of this game.
The Rose Bowl Game traditionally hosted the conference champions from the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences (or their predecessors) from 1947 to 2024. Starting in 2002, the Rose Bowl Game occasionally deviated from its traditional matchups for use in "national championship" systems. In 2002 and 2006 (the 2001 and 2005 seasons), under the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) system, the Rose Bowl was designated as its championship game, and hosted the top two teams determined by the BCS system. In 2015, the Rose Bowl became part of the College Football Playoff (CFP) as one of the New Year's Six bowls—the top six major bowl games in the national championship system—hosting one of the semifinal games every three years. During non-CFP years, the Rose Bowl reverted to its traditional Pac-12/Big Ten matchup, unless the champions from those conferences were selected to play in the College Football Playoff.
With the expansion of the College Football Playoff to 12 teams in the 2024 season, the Rose Bowl became an annual feature of that playoff, along with the other New Year's Six bowls. The CFP may honor the traditional Big Ten tie-in with its matchup assignment, but is under no obligation to do so; the Pac-12 tie-in was left unaddressed with the collapse of that conference's traditional alignment following the 2024 season.
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- ^ "Why the Rose Bowl is moving from Pasadena to Texas for College Football Playoff". www.sportingnews.com. December 20, 2020. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
Instead, the "Granddaddy of Them All" will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the home of the NFL's Cowboys, on Jan. 1. The move was announced the same day it was reported that Rose Bowl organizers were denied a special exception by the state of California to allow fans into the stadium. The Tournament of Roses announced in early December that the game would be held without spectators.
- ^ Media Guide, Tournament of Roses Association, December 2015
- ^ Carter Williams, How the Rose Bowl became 'The Granddaddy of Them All' KSL.com, December 31, 2021
- ^ NCAA Division 1 football records book. NCAA, 2007 Edition, pages 296–302 Major Bowl Game Attendance