Fiesta Bowl time, date released for first-ever College Football Playoff Quarterfinal

A popular theme the iconic Fiesta Bowl Organization has boasted about in 2024 has been that college football is in a “new era,” and it will keep that same energy going into the College Football Playoff (CFP).

Making history, the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl will host the first College Football Playoff Quarterfinal ever inside State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Dec. 31 at 5:30 p.m. MST. The game will be nationally broadcasted on ESPN.

New to college football this year, the Quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff will add more spice to an already highly competitive time of the year in the sports world.

The four-game format of the round will begin with the Fiesta Bowl since it has an “exclusive television window” on New Year’s Eve, according to a press release. There will be three other games elsewhere on Jan. 1, 2025.

To formulate the Fiesta Bowl matchup, one school will have a bye while two schools will play in the first round on Dec. 20 or Dec. 21. The winner advances to the Fiesta Bowl and play the team that got the bye, who will be announced on Dec. 8

“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,” Fiesta Bowl Executive Director & CEO Erik Moses said in the press release. “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.”

The winners of the Quarterfinal round will advance to the CFP Semifinals the following week. Whoever wins in the Semifinals will clinch their spot in the CFP National Championship Game.

“It’s going to be an exciting year in college football, and we’re delighted to welcome fans traveling to the Phoenix area for the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve,” Senior Vice President of Global Brands and Creative at Expedia Group, Michele Rousseau, said. “There’s nothing better than gearing up for game day and making college football memories together with family and friends while staying in a Vrbo private vacation rental.”

The CFP Semifinal will head to the Valley on Jan. 8, 2026, as the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl will host the round before the 2025-26 season’s championship.