Pasadena, CA
The Rose Bowl
102,038 - Grass
Date: January
The "grand-daddy of all bowl games," as it's often called, originated as an extra added attraction to Pasadena's Tournament of Roses. (See the history of Bowl Games.)
From 1922 through 1945, the Rose Bowl pitted the Pacific Coast Conference champion against an at-large opponent, usually from the East. Starting with the 1946 season, the bowl featured the Pac-10 and Big Ten champions.
With the formation of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), if either conference champion is ranked #1 or #2, that champion will play in the BCS championship game and will be replaced by that conference's second-ranked team. The Rose Bowl hosted the BCS championship game in 2002 and 2005.
