Rose Bowl Asks To Avoid Semi-Final In CFP

[HDuck]

Column by Stewart Mandel in The Athletic today that the Rose Bowl has asked to remain a quarter-final site only, with games on January 1, rather than be part of the six bowl rotation that means a semi-final every 3 years on a date such as Jan. 9/10 in 2025.  The Rose Bowl is currently a quarter-final in 2025 and 2026, but a semi-final in 2027.

 

Thus the other 5 of the 6 quarterfinal bowls would rotate into the two semi-finals:  Peach, Orange, Sugar, Cotton, Fiesta.   It ain't over until it's over.  For example, the CFP might select a 7th bowl site to pick up the baton every 3 years?   What if the Vegas Bowl had their normal December game in a two-year sequence, then a semi-final the third?   There are options.

 

I understand the Rose Bowl's desire to keep the game and parade together.  I understand that traffic in L.A. on January 1 wouldn't be as unbearable as it would be on a workday a few days later.  I imagine "tradition" is a factor, but logistics also.  They've had some experience when they hosted the BCS Championship in 2009 and 2013 a few days after the Rose Bowl.

 

Losing the Rose Bowl as a semi-final site might hurt a B1G Conference champion, especially if one of the four West teams  On the other hand, having it as a quarter-final every year might benefit a non-champion B1G participant?

 

The Athletic is a pay site, thus I have no link to place here.

 

[OregonDucks]

The Rose Bowl and parade on New Year’s Day is a fantastic tradition that Pasadena will do anything to protect.  
 

I’m sure that they could find a better alternative in the West Coast for semi- and finals (SoFi, Las Vegas, Phoenix).

[MicroBurst61]

Shame that it comes to this but just another repercussion of conference realignment and 12, to 16, team playoff.

 

As with most of the "traditions" of ,college to NFL-lite, that are to be abandoned or altered to suite the new paradigm.

 

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