Kirk Herbstreit Advocates for Rose Bowl to Become Permanent Host of CFP Title Game

Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRTFeatured Columnist IVJanuary 2, 2024

Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images

ESPN and Prime Video analyst Kirk Herbstreit posted on social media Tuesday that he believes the College Football Playoff should make the Rose Bowl the annual host of the championship game.

Kirk Herbstreit @KirkHerbstreitI’ve been saying this for years and I’ll say it one more time. As the world of CFB changes in so many ways I really wish the leaders and decision makers would just make the @rosebowlgame the host for the National Championship EVERY YEAR!! The setting-beauty-field-and history of…

“The setting-beauty-field-and history of that place is unparalleled,” he wrote. “Last night was another chapter in its long and incredible history of memorable moments.”

The Rose Bowl, played in Pasadena, is easily the sport’s oldest bowl game, dating back to 1902. For many years it served as the showcase for the top team from the Big Ten vs. the top team from the Pac-12, though the BCS and eventually CFP era changed its role in the bowl season landscape.

Dan Wolken @DanWolkenAll these other venues are just vanilla pro stadiums. They’re all cool and have great amenities but they’re all the same. The Rose Bowl just has an it factor for everyone who goes or plays there and even watches on TV to some extent

But given the legacy of the game, it wouldn’t be a stretch to install it as the annual championship game. The pushback would come from the other New Year’s Six bowls—the Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl and Fiesta Bowl—which would surely want a piece of that action on a revolving basis, along with various other host cities that can currently vie for the game.

Starting with next year’s 12-team expanded CFP field, the New Year’s Six will serve as the host sites for the quarterfinal and semifinal games. In both the current format and future format, the CFP Championship Game isn’t tied to a traditional bowl game. Herbstreit, at least, would like to see the Rose Bowl considered for the honor.