Fiesta Bowl Secures Key Role in Upcoming College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff (CFP) just dropped the rotation and dates for its next wave of bowl games. The lineup features the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential, Capital One Orange Bowl, and Allstate Sugar Bowl.
This announcement locks in the Fiesta Bowl as a CFP quarterfinal for the next two seasons. After that, it’s set to host a semifinal.
These dates really underscore how big these bowls have become in college football. There’s a certain sense of balance and tradition that sticks, which—let’s be honest—matters a lot to fans and schools alike.
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Fiesta Bowl’s Role in the College Football Playoff
The Fiesta Bowl has been a staple for ages, hosting some wild, unforgettable games.
For the next two years, it’s stepping in as a CFP quarterfinal, then it’ll move up to a semifinal. Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Executive Director and CEO Erik Moses pointed out they’re focused on giving student-athletes, fans, and schools something special every time.
Upcoming Schedule
The CFP schedule, which came out on February 3, 2026, lists the following big dates:
- Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2026: Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
- Friday, Jan. 1, 2027: Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential
- Thursday, Jan. 14, 2027: Capital One Orange Bowl
- Friday, Jan. 15, 2027: Allstate Sugar Bowl
- Friday, Dec. 31, 2027: Allstate Sugar Bowl
- Saturday, Jan. 1, 2028: Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential
- Thursday, Jan. 13, 2028: Capital One Orange Bowl
- Friday, Jan. 14, 2028: Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
Rich Clark’s Statement on the Schedule
Rich Clark, executive director of the CFP, thanked the bowl partners and their local communities for working together on this. He mentioned that these dates help keep things fair, give fans a great experience, and offer some much-needed consistency for everyone in the Playoff.
Community Support for Arizona’s Bowl Games
Erik Moses talked up how crucial local support is for Arizona’s bowl games—Fiesta Bowl, Rate Bowl, and Rose Bowl included. He called on fans and businesses to back these games, since they’re honestly a big deal for the area.
His push is a reminder that these bowls really do lean on the community to thrive. Without that energy, it’s just not the same.
Impact on Student-Athletes and Fans
The expanded CFP format is working out well, and that’s thanks to the bowl games and the people running them.
This schedule aims to keep student-athletes and fans in the mix for top-tier competition and those can’t-miss moments. The partnership between the CFP and its bowl partners is what makes the whole playoff season click.
Looking Ahead
Looking toward the upcoming seasons, you can almost feel the buzz building. The Fiesta Bowl, especially, seems poised to play a big part in the chase for the National Championship.
It’s got a deep history and a reputation for top-notch games. Honestly, the Fiesta Bowl just keeps finding ways to stay right in the spotlight every college football season.
Game times and TV network details? Those will drop sometime in 2026. Fans are already itching to see who lands where.
There’s a lot of energy from local communities, plus the CFP and its partners seem all-in on making the expanded playoff format work. It feels like this setup might stick around for quite a while.
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