Utah-Penn State Will Be The Last Traditional Rose Bowl Matchup Ever

The 2023 Rose Bowl will mark the end of a very long era.

Starting in 1946, the Rose Bowl has almost exclusively been played by teams from the Big 10 and Pac 12 conferences.

With some exceptions, it’s become a New Year’s tradition, seeing the Midwest match up with the West Coast.

But apparently as with all good things, it must come to an end.

The upcoming 2023 game between the Utah Utes and Penn State Nittany Lions will essentially be the last of its kind.

Starting with the 2024 contest, the guaranteed Big 10-Pac 12 collision will be no more.

Playoff Means Changes for Rose Bowl

The 2024 game, played after the 2023 regular season, will be a College Football Playoff semifinal.

Afterwards, it’ll permanently be part of the expanded, 12-team playoff rotation.

There may be traditional, Pac-12 vs. Big 10 games in the future, but it’ll likely be entirely coincidental.

The exact structure of the game as a permanent playoff site has yet to be determined.

But given the immense amount of money at stake, the organizers had no choice but to agree to change formats.

Regardless, it’s a bit disappointing. Expanded playoffs were an inevitability due to the money and interest they’ll inevitably generate.

Yet the Rose Bowl has been a constant for generations of fans. To see it change is unfortunate, even if it ultimately makes sense.

And with USC and UCLA heading to the Big 10,