What would New Year's Day 2025 be without the Rose Bowl?
Watch this year at two top college teams pair off in a battle for Rose Bowl glory. New this year? The 2025 Rose Bowl is designated a quarterfinal game in the newly expanded 12-team college football playoff leading up to the 2025 College Football Championship on January 20th.
Meanwhile, check out the complete TV schedule along with fun facts & trivia about the "granddaddy" of all college football games.
Rose Bowl game & parade TV schedule
The 2025 Rose Bowl is on Wednesday, January 1, 2025 at 5PM ET airing on ESPN. Earlier that morning, also don't miss the annual Tournament of Roses Parade, a much-loved tradition that kicks off the New Year.
The Rose Bowl parade traditionally features spirited marching bands, floral floats, and high-stepping horses in a special televsion presentation beginning at 8AM PT / 11AM ET on NBC. Taking on Grand Marshal duties this year will be tennis legend Billie Jean King.
The 2024 Rose Bowl Parade theme: "Best Day Ever!".
DID YOU KNOW? Rose Bowl trivia & fun facts
• In 1902, the Tournament of Roses Association decided to add a football game to the day's fesivities to attract more visitors to Pasadena. The first to accept the invitation was Stanford University, but they were no match for the powerhouse University of Michigan team who flattened them 49-0. The lopsided score prompted the Tournament to give up football in favor of (believe or not) Roman-style
chariot races. Thankfully, the association changed back to football in 1916 and, the rest, as they say, is Rose Bowl history.
1961: The Great Rose Bowl Hoax.
• Flip cards that were supposed to read H-U-S-K-I-E-S were secretly switched to read C-A-L-T-E-C-H in 1961 resulting in one of the most elaborate football pranks ever pulled off at the Rose Bowl or any other game. Baffled cheerleaders, fans and millions of TV viewers pondered over the mystery until days later, when it was finally revealed that the switch was made thanks to the stealth and ingenuity of Caltech students. It was later dubbed The
Great Rose Bowl Hoax.
• In addition to college football, the Rose Bowl stadium has been the site of the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics, the 1994 FIFA World Cup Final, the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Final, and five Super Bowls.
More about the Rose Bowl around the Web
2025 Rose Bowl Game - Tournament of Roses - The official site with team profiles, TV schedule, ticket information and travel packages, maps & seating diagrams & directions to Rose Bowl stadium, plus check out a complete wrap-up of last year's Rose Bowl action in feature stories & photo galleries.
What would New Year's Day 2025 be without the Rose Bowl? 
