Glendale to host quarterfinal game in upcoming college football playoffs

The Vrbo Fiesta Bowl will be part of the expanded college football playoffs for the upcoming season, as the game played in Glendale will host a quarterfinal matchup, partners announced Wednesday.

The game will be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, at State Farm Stadium. The game, along with other quarterfinal sites of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, all held on Jan. 1, will be broadcast on ESPN.

“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.” said Fiesta Bowl Executive Director and CEO Erik Moses in a press release.

College football is expanding its playoffs this year from four to 12 teams. First-round games will be held at the home stadiums of the highest-seeded teams, with the top four teams getting a bye to the quarterfinals. The semifinals will be held at the Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Jan. 9 and the Goodyear Cotton Bowl outside Dallas on Jan 10. The national championship game will be held in Atlanta on Jan. 20, 2025.

The Valley’s long-running ties with the Fiesta Bowl have seen various incarnations of playoff and national title games during the current playoff series.

Michele Rousseau, senior vice president of Expedia Group, which owns Vrbo, said the company was pleased to be part of the first games under the expanded playoffs.

“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,” Rousseau said in a press release. Vrbo has been the officials sponsor of the Fiesta Bowl since 2022.

The Vrbo Fiesta Bowl is accepting fan deposits for this season’s game tickets by visiting www.FiestaBowl.org.

Questions may be directed to the Fiesta Bowl Ticket Office by calling 480-350-0911 or emailing tickets@fiestabowl.org. Fiesta Legacy Members receive exclusive benefits, including priority seat locations, preferred parking access, specific stadium entry, first access to purchase additional tickets before the general public and more.
For information about the overall college playoff schedule, click here.