The landscape of college football is set to transform this season with the inaugural College Football Playoff Quarterfinals. At the forefront of this new era will be the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, taking place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on December 31, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. MST. This game marks the 54th edition of the Fiesta Bowl.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The newly introduced Quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff features four games, with the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl enjoying an exclusive television slot on December 31. The remaining three Quarterfinal games are scheduled for January 1, 2025. The team earning a bye into the CFP Quarterfinal at the Fiesta Bowl will be announced on Sunday, December 8, while the other two participating teams will compete in a first-round game on December 20 or 21, with the winner advancing to the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. The victors of these Quarterfinal games will move on to the CFP Semifinals the following week, vying for a spot in the CFP National Championship Game.
Additionally, the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl is set to host a CFP Semifinal on January 8, 2026, marking the end of the 2025-26 season.
Fiesta Bowl Executive Director & CEO Erik Moses expressed his excitement about the new expansion era taking center stage in Arizona, stating, “College football fans across the country have been eagerly awaiting the College Football Playoff expansion and the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl is excited to host the first-ever CFP Quarterfinal on New Year’s Eve. The best of college football will be right here in Arizona for our local fans and those who travel to one of the world’s best destinations. Celebrating our rich legacy of historic moments and what makes college football special while ushering in a new era of college football make this year’s Vrbo Fiesta Bowl a game that fans won’t want to miss.”
This year’s Fiesta Bowl will be the fifth in its history to take place on New Year’s Eve. It will also be the third consecutive Fiesta Bowl where Vrbo is the primary sponsor.
Last year, 8th-ranked Oregon dominated 18th-ranked Liberty with a decisive 45-6 victory. The previous year, Fiesta Bowl history was made when Michigan and TCU combined for 96 points, the highest total ever recorded in the bowl’s history.
Currently, the top 12 teams in ESPN’s preseason poll for 2024 are:
- Georgia
- Oregon
- Texas
- Ohio State
- Alabama
- Penn State
- Notre Dame
- Oklahoma
- Tennessee
- Missouri
- Florida State
- Michigan
Deposits for tickets can be placed at: Fiesta Bowl.
