Does the Winner of the Pac 12 Championship Go to the Rose Bowl?

What Is the History of the Pac-12 and the Rose Bowl?

For decades, the winner of the Pac-12 Championship had a very special prize: a guaranteed trip to the Rose Bowl Game. This tradition started in 1947 when the Pacific Coast Conference (the Pac-12’s ancestor) signed a deal that sent its champion to Pasadena every year to face the Big Ten champion. It was called the “Granddaddy of Them All,” and fans loved the predictable matchup. From 1947 through 2013, the Pac-12 champion (or its conference representative) played in the Rose Bowl on January 1 almost every single year, unless the team was also playing in the national championship game that still used the Rose Bowl as a host.

The only exception came during the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) era (1998–2013). If the Pac-12 champion was ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in the BCS standings, they often went to the BCS National Championship Game instead. Even then, the Rose Bowl got first pick of the remaining Pac-12 team, so the link stayed strong. In short, for most of college football’s modern history, the answer to “Does the winner of the Pac-12 Championship go to the Rose Bowl?” was a clear yes – with rare exceptions.

How Does the College Football Playoff Affect the Pac-12 Champion’s Rose Bowl Berth?

The College Football Playoff (CFP) started in 2014 and changed everything. Now there is a four-team playoff to decide the national champion. The Rose Bowl became a regular part of the CFP rotation, hosting a semifinal game every three years. In non-semifinal years, the Rose Bowl still kept its traditional Pac-12 vs. Big Ten matchup. That means the Pac-12 champion (or the top Pac-12 team) got the Rose Bowl bid in those years, just like before. But in CFP semifinal years, the Pac-12 champion might not go to the Rose Bowl at all.

For example, after the 2022 season, the Pac-12 champion (Utah) went to the Rose Bowl because it was not a CFP year for that bowl. But after the 2023 season, the Pac-12 champion (Washington) made the CFP as the No. 2 seed. Because the 2024 Rose Bowl was a CFP semifinal, Washington played in the Sugar Bowl instead. The Pac-12’s automatic Rose Bowl tie-in did not apply that year. So the answer started becoming: It depends on whether the Rose Bowl is hosting a playoff game and where the Pac-12 champion is ranked.

What Happens When the Rose Bowl Is a CFP Semifinal?

In years when the Rose Bowl is a CFP semifinal, the traditional Pac-12 vs. Big Ten contract does not apply. Instead, the champion of the Pac-12 (or any other conference) could be placed in the Rose Bowl only if the CFP selection committee decides to put them there as part of the playoff bracket. Usually, the top four teams are sent to the two semifinal sites regardless of conference tie-ins. So if the Pac-12 champion finishes in the top four, they will play in whichever semifinal bowl the committee assigns – which might not be the Rose Bowl. If the Pac-12 champion does not make the top four, they go to a different New Year’s Six bowl (like the Fiesta or Alamo Bowl), not the Rose Bowl. This arrangement means that during a CFP semifinal year, the Pac-12 champion very often does not go to the Rose Bowl.

Here’s a quick table to show the difference:

Note: In 2017 the Pac-12 champion USC did not make the CFP, so they went to the Cotton Bowl as an at-large. The Rose Bowl that year was a CFP semifinal featuring Georgia and Oklahoma.

Does the Pac-12 Champion Always Play a Big Ten Team in the Rose Bowl?

Historically, yes – the Pac-12 champion almost always faced the Big Ten champion in the Rose Bowl. This was the core of the bowl’s identity. Even after the CFP started, in non-semifinal years the Rose Bowl contract still guaranteed a Pac-12 vs. Big Ten matchup. For example, after the 2021 season (played Jan 2022), Utah (Pac-12) faced Ohio State (Big Ten) in the Rose Bowl. After the 2022 season (Jan 2023), Utah faced Penn State (Big Ten) again. So as long as the Rose Bowl was not a playoff game, the Pac-12 champion was locked into playing a Big Ten opponent.

But during CFP semifinal years, the Rose Bowl could feature any two top‑four teams. In 2018 (played Jan 2019), the Rose Bowl semifinal was Alabama vs. Oklahoma –

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