Should The Rose Bowl Be The Permanent National Championship Host?
With the advent of the transfer portal, name, image and likeness money, and the advent of the expanded, 12-team playoff, it's been a time of upheaval in college football. One thing, though, has remained the same: the Rose Bowl is by far the best venue in the sport to host big games.
Wednesday's Rose Bowl game between the #1 Oregon Ducks and #8 Ohio State Buckeyes was far less competitive than most fans and commentators expected. The Buckeyes jumped out to a 34-0 lead in the second quarter and never looked back, once again showing that Indiana's loss to Notre Dame was hardly embarrassing.
More importantly, despite the lopsided score, the Rose Bowl game once again delivered in every other facet. It felt like a traditional college football game, in a fantastic setting, with an engaged, full crowd. Despite being a neutral field. And as a result, Fox's Joel Klatt thinks it should be made the permanent National Championship host every year.
"The Rose Bowl Game should absolutely be the National Championship every year," he posted on X.
"-Elite destination for everyone in CFB
-forces us to finish by the 1st
-allows us to move XFR portal back
-no more asinine Monday night finishes
-Rose Bowl = Super Bowl"
And he's right.
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 01: Ohio State Buckeyes fans react during the third quarter against the Oregon Ducks during the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential at Rose Bowl Stadium on January 01, 2025 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Rose Bowl Game Provides Unique Opportunity For College Football
As most bowl games have moved into soulless, corporate NFL stadiums with no history, tradition, or college connection, interest and attendance figures have declined. The Fiesta Bowl between Boise State and Penn State wasn't even close to full, and ticket prices for most other playoff games were extremely low.
READ: CFP Ticket Prices Are Plummeting, As Fans Are Forced To Make Tough Decisions With New Format
The Rose Bowl, though lower than in years past, was by far the most expensive. Because the venue and experience are worth paying extra for. Even if actually attending the game is inconvenient, considering the woeful parking and transportation situation.
But that's the point: it's a special place, it's a unique venue, as anyone who's ever been will say. In a sport where the only thing that seems to matter in 2025 is money, the Rose Bowl is a tie to the era that made college football special.
It instantly elevates the importance and atmosphere of the game in a way that University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona simply can't do. Or Jerryworld in Dallas. Or Lucas Oil Stadium, or SoFi Stadium. Those venues provide more opportunities to sell luxury boxes to corporations, but take away something from the in-person experience. The Rose Bowl adds to it. It'll never happen because corporate interests are what matters in the modern game. But it should be the permanent National Championship venue.
Too bad we can't have nice things in this sport anymore.