When is the 2027 Rose Bowl Game? Friday, January 1, 2027 in Pasadena — 113th Rose Bowl and a CFP quarterfinal (not a semifinal); kickoff window TBA on Selection Day Dec 6.
Current target date: Friday, January 1, 2027 (Kickoff). We update this page when Rose bowl publishes schedule changes.
Rose Bowl Fri Jan 1 2027 — CFP quarterfinal in Pasadena (113th). Semis are Orange/Sugar mid-Jan; title Jan 25 Vegas. Parade ≠ kickoff.
Kickoff
Friday, January 1, 2027
January 1, 2027 — 113th Rose Bowl as a CFP quarterfinal in Pasadena
The Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential tips Friday, January 1, 2027, in Pasadena. The CFP locked it as a quarterfinal on New Year’s Day alongside the Cotton and Peach — three January 1 bowls, one Fiesta quarterfinal the night before on December 30.
Kickoff time stays TBA among the noon / 4 p.m. / 8 p.m. ET national windows until Selection Day, December 6. This countdown is the Granddaddy’s football night — not the parade floats and not Vegas’s January 25 title game.
Confirmed: Jan 1 quarterfinal in Pasadena — not a semifinal, not “kickoff locked at 5 p.m. PT”
Confirmed: Friday, January 1, 2027; Rose Bowl Stadium; 113th Rose Bowl Game; CFP quarterfinal; Fiesta on Dec 30; Cotton/Peach/Rose on Jan 1; Orange/Sugar semifinals mid-January; championship Jan 25 in Las Vegas. Not confirmed as which seed pair or which of the three Jan 1 TV slots Pasadena draws until December 6. Fake “Rose Bowl is the 2027 semifinal” stubs invent a site map the CFP already published.
From Selection Sunday to Pasadena — then the rest of the bracket
- Dec 6 2026 — CFP Selection Day; Rose Bowl kickoff window assigned.
- Dec 18–19 — First-round campus games.
- Dec 30 — Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal.
- Jan 1 2027 — Rose / Cotton / Peach quarterfinals (this countdown).
- Jan 14–15 — Orange & Sugar semifinals.
- Jan 25 — National Championship, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas.
Pasadena New Year logistics that are not the parade route
- Treat Jan 1 parade morning and stadium kickoff as separate tickets and transit plans.
- Watch Dec 6 Selection Day for which ET window (noon / 4 / 8) Pasadena draws.
- Expect Colorado Blvd closures overnight Dec 31 into Jan 1 — leave early for Arroyo parking.
- Don’t book “semifinal in Pasadena” travel — semis are Orange/Sugar that year.
- National title is Jan 25 in Vegas, not a Rose Bowl rematch by default.
Still New Year’s Day — but it’s a quarterfinal now, not the old “Granddaddy as finale” myth
The Rose Bowl kept January 1 even after the 12-team playoff remapped the sport. In 2027 Pasadena is one of three New Year’s Day quarterfinals, not a semifinal and not the national championship — Orange and Sugar take the next round; Las Vegas crowns the champ on January 25.
That split is why “Rose Bowl Sunday” nostalgia copy fails SEO and readers: Friday, January 1, 2027, is still the Granddaddy’s date, with playoff stakes and a kickoff clock that waits for Selection Day.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about this release date.
1When is the 2027 Rose Bowl Game?
Friday, January 1, 2027, at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena. It is the 113th Rose Bowl and a College Football Playoff quarterfinal. Exact kickoff (noon, 4 p.m., or 8 p.m. ET window) locks on Selection Day, Sunday, December 6, 2026.
2Is the Rose Bowl a semifinal in 2027?
No. For 2026-27 the Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl, and Peach Bowl are New Year’s Day quarterfinals. Semifinals are the Orange Bowl (January 14) and Sugar Bowl (January 15). The national championship is Monday, January 25, in Las Vegas.
3Which teams play?
TBA until Selection Day. Two of the CFP top-12 survivors meet in Pasadena. Traditional Big Ten–Pac-12 New Year’s branding does not override the playoff bracket once seeds are set.
4Is the Rose Parade the same as kickoff?
No. The Tournament of Roses Parade rolls New Year’s morning on Colorado Boulevard. The football game is a separate afternoon/evening product at the stadium — different tickets, different clock.
Explore more hubs
Jump into another category — anime, games, movies, sport, and events calendars.