The Fiesta Bowl

The Fiesta Bowl is a "New Year's Six" game that serves as a semifinal for the College Football Playoff National Championship once every three years. This year it will serve as host for the semifinal matchup between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Clemson. It last hosted a semifinal in 2016.

Who will play in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl of college football?

Both Ohio State and Clemson finished the 2019 regular season undefeated, with double-digit wins in their respective conference championship games, and were selected to compete in the College Football Playoff. Clemson pounded Virginia, 62-17, in the ACC Championship Game, while Ohio State rallied from behind in the second half to defeat Wisconsin, 34-21, in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Fiesta Bowl champions

The history of college football’s Fiesta Bowl

The Fiesta Bowl was originated in 1971 and was held annually at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona through 2006.

Since 2007 the Fiesta Bowl has been played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (previously named University of Phoenix Stadium).

In 1998 the Fiesta Bowl became part of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS). The Fiesta Bowl hosted the National Championship Game for the last time in 2010.

Beginning with the 2014 season, the Fiesta Bowl became part of the College Football Playoff and hosts a semifinal game every three years.

In 1981 the Fiesta Bowl was shifted to New Year’s Day to join the other major bowls—Cotton, Orange, Sugar and Rose.

The 1987 Fiesta Bowl was played on January 2, a day after the four other major bowls, and the Fiesta Bowl drew the largest TV audience in the history of college football at the time. Penn State defeated Miami-Florida, 14-10, in that game.

Starting with the 1999 season, the Fiesta Bowl began hosting the Big 12 champion in years when it was not slated as the BCS title game, an arrangement that continued until the end of the BCS era. The 1999 Fiesta Bowl played host to the first BCS National Championship Game. Tennessee defeated Florida State, 23-16, in that game.

Everything you need to know about college football bowl season

Fiesta Bowl historic moments

The 2003 Fiesta Bowl was the first overtime national title game. Ohio State defeated Miami-Florida, 31-24, in double overtime.

The 2005 Fiesta Bowl was the first BCS bowl to have an entry from outside the BCS parameters, as Utah from the Mountain West Conference defeated Big East champion Pittsburgh, 35-7.

In the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, Boise State won an overtime thriller against Oklahoma, 43-42, in what has been called one of the greatest college football games in history.

The 2010 Fiesta Bowl was the first BCS bowl matchup of two non-automatic qualifying teams (conferences without automatic BCS bids) and the first time that two undefeated teams faced each other in a BCS game outside of a national championship.

The 2016 Fiesta Bowl served as a national semifinal game for the College Football Playoff, and Ohio State defeated Notre Dame, 44-28.

Schools with the most Fiesta Bowl wins

Recent Fiesta Bowl news