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Upcoming Rose Bowl Game dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
The Rose Bowl Game seat decision: row first, then side
At the Rose Bowl Game, the most important number on your ticket is the row. Target rows 20 to 40, inside the 20s, and if you can, on the west sideline (sections 16–20), where shade creeps in as the game wears on. The next game is a College Football Playoff quarterfinal on New Year's Day, Friday, January 1, 2027, in Pasadena, California.
Why row first? The stadium is a single open bowl with no upper deck, and it climbs at a gentle angle. The lettered rows at the bottom sit almost level with the field, so the crowd along the sideline hides whatever happens across the field. A few dozen rows up, the whole field opens up. Below roughly row 10 you are trading a real view for closeness.
Reading a Rose Bowl Stadium ticket
Rose Bowl Stadium's official capacity is about 89,702; Wikipedia lists 92,542 as of 2012. Every seat is in one ring, which makes the ticket easy to decode once you know the system. The site's Rose Bowl Stadium guide covers the venue in more depth.
- Sections 1 to 28 circle the oval. Sections 1–8, roughly, form the east sideline, and about 15–22 form the west; everything between curls around behind the goalposts.
- L and H tell you which half of a section you are in: L for the lower seat numbers, H for the higher ones.
- Rows begin as letters at field level, counting K down to A, before numbered rows take over and run up to 77 at the rim.
West, east and end zone seats compared
West sideline, sections 16–20
The Terry Donahue Pavilion, which holds the press box and suites, rises on this side. It gains shade through the afternoon and is usually the most in-demand part of the building. If comfort over a long game matters, start here.
East sideline, sections 3–6
The mirror-image view, but sunlit through most of an afternoon kickoff. Because of that, these seats often price below the matching west sections, which makes them the value choice for fans who do not mind the heat and pack sunglasses and a hat.
End zones
Demand is softest here, and many seats are benches rather than individual chairs. They are fine for atmosphere and for sitting near a band, but a full game on a bench is a long afternoon.
Both playoff schools get a block of tickets, and those fans gather behind their team's bench. Once sideline assignments are announced, check them if you want to sit with your own side.
Afternoon heat, evening chill
New Year's Day is game day, except in years when it lands on a Sunday; then the Tournament of Roses moves everything to January 2, a rule it has kept since 1893. In 2027 the holiday falls on a Friday, so no shift.
For decades the ball went up at 2 p.m. Pacific, or 5 Eastern. In January 2026 that slid an hour earlier, to 1 p.m. Pacific, so the game would not collide with the Sugar Bowl. This season's schedule shows three quarterfinal slots on January 1 (noon, 4 and 8 p.m. Eastern), and the Rose Bowl's exact slot is confirmed by the playoff and its networks. Whatever the time, an afternoon game ends close to or after sunset, and the Arroyo Seco, the canyon where the stadium sits, cools quickly. East-side fans can go from too warm to cold in the same game, so bring a layer.
Bracket timing: when you know who is playing
Generations of fans knew this as a West Coast champion against a Big Ten champion. The Pac-12 and the leagues before it held a slot from 1917 to 2023, and the Big Ten from 1947. The game entered the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) in 1998 and the playoff in 2014; it staged a semifinal to open 2024, then quarterfinals the next two Januarys. According to Wikipedia, the 2027 game is the first with no conference partner at all, and its playoff entry describes the game as staying on New Year's Day as a permanent quarterfinal. Playoff contracts are renegotiated over time, so read that as the present structure.
- Early December: the bracket is published. The four top seeds skip the first round and go directly to quarterfinals, so one of the two Pasadena teams is normally set that day.
- Mid-to-late December: a first-round game on a campus (the better seed hosts) decides the opponent.
- After that: a big traveling fan base, or a school from the West, can tighten the market fast.
An early purchase is a bet on the day and the place rather than on the teams. Waiting for the first round removes the guesswork but shortens your window for holiday travel. Reserved Seat orders include guaranteed entry, which helps if you commit before both teams are known.
Fitting the Rose Parade into game day
The parade dates to New Year's Day 1890 and steps off at 8 in the morning, Pacific time. Floats travel up South Orange Grove from Green Street, turn east at the grandstands and roll down Colorado Boulevard. The rules require each float to be dressed entirely in flowers, seeds, bark, leaves or similar natural material. The 2027 theme is "Welcome."
Doing both events on the same day works if you plan the gap. The floats finish late in the morning, traffic lingers for hours, and the stadium lies several miles away to the west. Walk away from the route before the end to allow time for parking, security and finding your row.
One volunteer organization runs the whole day: the Tournament of Roses, about 935 members spread over 34 committees and recognizable by their white suits. It also hosts Bandfest (the parade's marching bands in concert), Equestfest (its riding units on display) and a post-parade showing where you can walk right up to the floats.
The Granddaddy's long record
Michigan beat Stanford 49–0 on January 1, 1902, in college football's first-ever postseason game; it has been an annual event without a break since 1916. Broadcaster Keith Jackson gave it the nickname "The Granddaddy of Them All." It has left Pasadena twice: in 1942, after Pearl Harbor raised security fears on the West Coast, it was relocated to Duke's stadium in Durham, and in 2021 COVID-19 restrictions in California moved it to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The record crowd of 106,869 saw USC face Ohio State in 1973, back when the bowl held more seats than it does now.
- 2006: Texas outscored USC 41–38 for the BCS title, a game many rank among the best ever played.
- 2018: Georgia beat Oklahoma 54–48 in double overtime in a playoff semifinal.
- 2024: Michigan got past Alabama 27–20 in overtime and went on to win the national title.
- 2025: Ohio State handled Oregon 41–21 in the first Rose Bowl quarterfinal.
- 2026: Indiana overwhelmed Alabama 38–3.
The first title sponsor came in 1999. The list since then: AT&T through 2002, PlayStation 2 for one year, Citi from 2004 to 2010, Vizio for four years after that, Northwestern Mutual from 2015 to 2020, Capital One for two seasons and Prudential Financial from 2023.
Staying, parking and bags in Pasadena
- Rooms go early. The parade and the game both fill Pasadena hotels, so plenty of fans book in Los Angeles and drive over that morning.
- The last mile takes planning. The stadium is ringed by a golf course, parks and neighborhoods, and the closest Metro station (Memorial Park) is roughly 2.4 miles off. Parking, shuttles and rideshare for the bowl are arranged separately from UCLA home games.
- Bags: as of the 2025 season, UCLA home games required clear bags no bigger than 12 x 6 x 12 inches, with a small clutch also allowed. Expect something similar, and confirm the bowl's own policy.
For official game-day details, check the Rose Bowl Game site and the Tournament of Roses.
Frequently asked questions
Which rows are best at the Rose Bowl Game?
Somewhere from row 20 to row 40, inside the 20s. Because the bowl rises so gently, the lettered rows near the turf are close to field level and miss much of the action across the way.
Which side of Rose Bowl Stadium is shaded?
The west side, sections 16 to 20, gains shade through the afternoon. Sections 1 to 8 on the east side spend most of the game in direct sun.
When is the 2027 Rose Bowl Game?
It is a playoff quarterfinal on Friday, January 1, 2027. The playoff and the TV networks announce the start time.
Can I see the Rose Parade and the game on the same day?
Yes, with planning. The floats step off at 8 a.m. and finish late in the morning; leave the route early to reach the stadium, park and clear security before kickoff.
Does the Big Ten still play in the Rose Bowl?
Not by contract. The Pac-12 partnership ended after 2023, and Wikipedia says the 2027 game carries no conference agreement at all. Teams come from the playoff bracket.
Are end zone seats at the Rose Bowl benches?
Many are. End zone seating is largely bench-style, which is one reason those sections draw the least demand.