The 2026 Rose Bowl will start one hour earlier than its traditional 2 p.m. start time as part of schedule adjustments for all three New Year’s Day College Football Playoff quarterfinals, officials announced Tuesday.
The switch to 1 p.m. is “the result of a thoughtful collaboration” between the College Football Playoff, ESPN and organizers of the Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl, Rich Clark, executive director of the College Football Playoff, said in a statement.
“All three bowls shifting their start times allows us to place each game in an ideal window on New Year’s Day,” Clark said.
David Eads, chief executive officer of the Tournament of Roses, which conducts the game, said the organization “is confident that the one-hour time shift to the traditional kickoff time … will help to improve the overall timing for all playoff games on Jan. 1.”
“A midafternoon game has always been important to the tradition of The Granddaddy of Them All, but this small timing adjustment will not impact the Rose Bowl Game experience for our participants or attendees,” Eads said in a statement.
“Over the past five years the Rose Bowl Game has run long on several occasions, resulting in a delayed start for the following bowl game and ultimately it was important for us to be good partners with ESPN and the College Football Playoff and remain flexible for the betterment of college football and its postseason.”