SCOTTSDALE, AZ (June 5, 2024) – A new era of college football kicks off this season and the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl will host the first-ever College Football Playoff Quarterfinal on Tuesday, December 31, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. MST, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The 54^th annual game will be broadcast live nationally on ESPN through its linear television and digital platforms.
 
The new Quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff (CFP) will consist of four games, the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl in an exclusive television window on December 31 followed by three matchups on January 1, 2025. One team will have a bye into the CFP Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and be announced on Sunday, December 8. Two other teams will play in a first-round matchup on December 20 or December 21, with the winner advancing to the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
 
Winners of the Quarterfinal round will move on to the CFP Semifinals the following week to compete for a berth in the CFP National Championship Game. The Vrbo Fiesta Bowl will host a CFP Semifinal on January 8, 2026, to close out the 2025-26 season.
 
"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. 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," said Fiesta Bowl Executive Director & CEO Erik Moses. "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."
 
This year's edition will be the fifth in Fiesta Bowl history to be played on New Year's Eve, the previous two times as CFP Semifinal contests, including a memorable high-scoring 51-45 upset by TCU over Michigan in 2022 to send the Horned Frogs to the 2023 CFP National Championship Game. The game featured 44 combined points in the third quarter alone, with touchdowns on six-straight possessions between the two teams culminating in a Vrbo Fiesta Bowl record of 96 combined points scored in a single game.
 
The Vrbo Fiesta Bowl has been a must-see postseason game, with some of college football's most memorable moments occurring in the Valley of the Sun, and will be even moreso in the years to come as a mainstay within the CFP bracket. The final margin has been an edge-of-your-seat one-score margin in five of the last seven seasons and several of college football's signature games have been played at the Fiesta Bowl.
 
"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," said Senior Vice President of Global Brands and Creative at Expedia Group, Michele Rousseau. "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."
 
Vrbo, part of Expedia Group, was announced as the Fiesta Bowl's new title partner in July 2022. In addition to the exclusive naming rights, Vrbo (pronounced 'ver-boh') also became the official travel sponsor of the College Football Playoff. With the Fiesta Bowl, Vrbo enjoys a fully-integrated partnership that incorporates fan activations in addition to digital and social media, content, in-stadium exposure and inclusion at other year-round Fiesta Bowl Organization events such as the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade.
 
The Vrbo Fiesta Bowl is now 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.
 
A variety of premium seating options are available for purchase for fans seeking an elevated experience. For questions regarding Vrbo Fiesta Bowl premium experiences, contact (480) 350-0911 or premium@fiestabowl.org.

Fast Facts about the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl:

• New Year's Eve 2024 will be the 54^th annual game in Bowl history
• The 2024 calendar year started and finished at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, with last season's game on January 1 and this CFP Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on December 31, 2024
• The Vrbo Fiesta Bowl is hosting the first-ever CFP Quarterfinal. The Bowl also hosted the first-ever Bowl Alliance National Championship Game (1996: Nebraska beat Florida, 52-24) and first-ever Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game (1999: Tennessee beat Florida State, 23-16)
• The Vrbo Fiesta Bowl will be host to a CFP Semifinal in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff in the 2025-26 season
• The Vrbo Fiesta Bowl's final margin has been a one-score game in 5 of the last 7 seasons
• The 2003 and 2007 Fiesta Bowl games are regularly considered among the top five games in college football history
• The Vrbo Fiesta Bowl has hosted seven national championship games
• Ohio State has the most appearances in Vrbo Fiesta Bowl history, with nine games played
• Penn State owns a perfect 7-0 record in Vrbo Fiesta Bowl history, the most wins by any school
• Arizona State played in the first three Fiesta Bowl games, and four of the first five games. Overall, the Sun Devils have a 5-1 record in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
• 13 Heisman Trophy winners have played in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
• Some of college football's most talked-about moments came in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl:
  • 2022 Fiesta Bowl with a Bowl-record 96 total points, including 44 combined points in the third quarter, as TCU upset Michigan to advance to CFP National Championship
  • 2019 Fiesta Bowl when Clemson came back to beat Ohio State in what was ranked the best game of 2019 by ESPN 
  • 2007 Fiesta Bowl where Boise State upset Oklahoma in dramatic fashion
  • 2005 Fiesta Bowl had Utah become the first non-power conference team to beat a power conference with its win over Pittsburgh
  • 2003 Fiesta Bowl national championship between Ohio State and Miami that went to overtime in a hotly-contested game
  • 1996 Fiesta Bowl in which Tommie Frazier created a highlight with a 75-yard touchdown run that many still talk about today
  • 1989 Fiesta Bowl as Notre Dame completed a perfect season and secured its most recent national championship
  • 1987 Fiesta Bowl was dubbed the "Game of the Century" and "Battle for Number 1" between Penn State and Miami in the first created national championship

ABOUT THE FIESTA BOWL ORGANIZATION
Since 1971, the Fiesta Bowl is a world-class community organization that executes innovative experiences, drives economic growth and champions charitable causes, inspiring pride in all Arizonans during and outside of college football bowl season. As a nonprofit organization, it is driven by its vision for the importance of community outreach and service. Through the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Guaranteed Rate Bowl and its year-round events, such as the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe, corporate partnerships and numerous community events throughout the year, the organization provides charitable giving to enhance Arizona nonprofit organizations that serve communities through youth, sports and education.
 
ABOUT Vrbo
In 1995, Vrbo introduced a new way for people to travel together, pairing homeowners with families and friends looking for places to stay. We were grounded in one purpose: To give people the space they need to drop the distractions of everyday life and simply be together. Since then, we've grown into a global community of homeowners and travelers, with unique properties around the world. Vrbo makes it easy and fun to book cabins, condos, beach houses and every kind of space in between. Vrbo is part of Expedia Group and offers homeowners and property managers exposure to over 750 million visits to Expedia Group sites each month. To learn more, visit www.vrbo.com.