The Rose Bowl “will not host” a CFP semifinal game over the next six seasons, as it “wants to keep its preferred Jan. 1 timeslot.” The CFP on Thursday revealed the dates and bowl sites for the quarterfinal and semifinal games through the 2031 season. The first quarterfinal game of the upcoming 2026 season will be played on Dec. 30, rather than the traditional New Year’s Eve slot. The change is “likely because New Year’s Eve falls on a Thursday later this year, which means that the CFP would be competing with the NFL for viewers.” There will also be two weeks between the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds in 2026-27 and 2027-28 instead of just one week (CBSSPORTS.com, 7/9). The Rose Bowl will “not be in the rotation” for a semifinal, with the last time it hosted one coming in 2023–24. That was the final season of the four-team playoff (AL.com, 7/9). The 2026-32 dates and locations are based on the current 12-team playoff format, which has “been under heavy discussion” (ON3, 7/9).
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