The Rose Bowl apparently wants no part of the College Football Playoff. Per CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd and other reports, The Grandaddy Of Them All aims to sit out the CFP starting in 2026.
In other words, everything may not be coming up roses for the CFP in a couple years.
"Because we're the only bowl that has the date as part of our brand in the New Year's Six bowls, it's really imperative for us and important for us," Rose Bowl management committee chair Laura Farber told ESPN. "We don't know when there will be a longform agreement. We're hopeful it will be sooner than later, but that depends on when the CFP has everything ready to go."
The CFP seemed like a good idea at first. But now it's kind of become like everything else grown men in suits get their hands on — i.e., a mess.
Per CBS Sports:
"This is not the Rose Bowl's first attempt to keep its traditional spot. According to Dodd, during development of the 12-team field format, the Rose Bowl let it be known it wanted to retain the Jan. 1 date at 5 p.m. ET if possible.
"'(This is) not new news,' one College Football Playoff bowl official familiar with the talks told Dodd."
Uh, how about letting the people decide what is new news?
"After the 2023 season, the Rose Bowl will be a College Football Playoff semifinal," added CBS. "So only by chance will a Big Ten and/or Pac-12 team play in the game. For different reasons, beginning with the debut of the 12-team playoff in 2024, the same circumstances will apply."
