
The New Year's Six, sometimes abbreviated as NY6, are six of the ten oldest NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) bowl games. The games are played annually on or around New Year's Day and include the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl. These games are considered the top tier of college football and the teams that play in them are chosen by the College Football Playoff committee.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Games | 6 |
| Names of Games | Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl |
| Teams | 12 |
| Selection | Selected by committee, including the top four seeds that participate in the Playoffs. The remaining eight spots belong to teams within a certain criterion. |
| Broadcasting Channel | ESPN |
| Location | All across the country |
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What You'll Learn

The New Year's Six are the oldest bowl games
The New Year's Six, also known as the NY6, are six of the ten oldest bowl games played in college football. They are the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl. These games are played annually on or around New Year's Day.
The Rose Bowl is the oldest of the New Year's Six, with the first matchup taking place in 1902 between Michigan and Stanford. The game did not return for another 14 years, until 1916 when Washington State beat Brown 14-0, beginning an annual tradition. The ninth iteration of the game, in 1923, was the first to be played in the current Rose Bowl Stadium. The Rose Bowl is played in Pasadena, California.
The Sugar Bowl, held in New Orleans, Louisiana, is tied for the second-oldest bowl game. It has been played since 1935. The Orange Bowl, played in Miami Gardens, Florida, is also tied for the second-oldest bowl game, having started in 1935 as well.
The Cotton Bowl is played in Arlington, Texas, and is the fifth-oldest bowl game, with the first Cotton Bowl played in 1937. The Fiesta Bowl, held in Glendale, Arizona, is the 10th oldest bowl game and has been played annually since 1971. The Peach Bowl, the ninth-oldest bowl game, is held in Atlanta, Georgia, and started in 1968.
The New Year's Six now serve as the quarterfinals and semifinals of the College Football Playoff. The 12 teams who play in the NY6 are selected by committee, including the top four seeds that participate in the Playoffs, while the remaining eight spots belong to teams within a certain criterion.
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The Rose Bowl is the oldest bowl
The Rose Bowl is the oldest of America's college football postseason bowl games, first played as the "Tournament East–West football game" on January 1, 1902. The inaugural game featured Fielding H. Yost's 1901 Michigan team, representing the East, which crushed a team from Stanford University, representing the West, by a score of 49-0. The game was added in 1902 to help fund the cost of the Rose Parade.
The Rose Bowl Game has been played annually since 1916. It is traditionally played on January 1 (New Year's Day) at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Rose Bowl stadium was opened in October 1922 and recognised as a National Historic Landmark and a California Historic Civil Engineering landmark. The Rose Bowl was originally built as a horseshoe and was expanded several times. The southern stands were completed in 1928, enclosing the stadium into a complete bowl.
The Rose Bowl Game is part of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association's "America's New Year Celebration", which also includes the historic Rose Parade. Winners of the game receive the Leishman Trophy, named for former Tournament of Roses presidents, William L. Leishman and Lathrop K. Leishman.
The Rose Bowl is one of the six games that constitute the New Year's Six (NY6). The other five are the Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl.
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Teams are chosen by the College Football Playoff committee
The New Year's Six, sometimes abbreviated as NY6, are six NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) bowl games: the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl. These games are played annually on or around New Year's Day.
The teams that participate in the New Year's Six games are chosen by the College Football Playoff (CFP) committee. The CFP committee consists of 13 members who generally serve three-year terms, although some initial 2013 selections served two- and four-year terms to achieve a rotation of members. The committee members include one current athletic director from each of the five "major" conferences—ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC—also known as the Power Five conferences.
The CFP replaced the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), which was a selection system that created five bowl game matchups involving ten of the top-ranked teams in the NCAA Division I FBS. The BCS was in place for the 1998 through 2013 seasons and was replaced by the CFP in 2014. The CFP initially used a four-team format, with two semifinal games and a national championship game.
Starting with the 2024 season, the CFP expanded to 12 teams. The New Year's Six games now serve as the quarterfinals and semifinals of the CFP. Twelve teams are selected and seeded following the conclusion of regular-season play for a single-elimination tournament. Eight teams meet in the first round, played at campus sites. The four winners then advance to play the four highest-ranked conference champions in the quarterfinals, which are played as four of the New Year's Six games. The four quarterfinal winners then advance to the semifinals, which are played as the other two New Year's Six games.
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The games are played annually on or around New Year's Day
The New Year's Six, sometimes abbreviated as NY6, are six of the ten oldest college football bowl games played annually on or around New Year's Day. The games are:
- Rose Bowl
- Sugar Bowl
- Orange Bowl
- Cotton Bowl
- Peach Bowl
- Fiesta Bowl
These games represent the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of the College Football Playoff (CFP). The 12 teams who play in the NY6 are selected by committee, including the top four seeds that participate in the Playoffs. The remaining eight spots belong to teams within a certain criterion.
The NY6 games are played on or around New Year's Day, except when New Year's Day falls on a Sunday. In that case, the games are played on January 2 to avoid clashing with the National Football League's week 17 games.
For example, in the 2024-25 season, the NY6 games were played from December 31, 2024, to January 1, 2025. The Peach Bowl, the ninth-oldest bowl game, kicked off on January 1 at 1 p.m. ET, while the Rose Bowl was played later that day at 8:45 p.m. ET.
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The NY6 dictates which teams play in the National Championship Game
The New Year's Six, or NY6, is an unofficial term for six bowl games in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the top tier of college football. The NY6 are the Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Sugar Bowl. These games are played annually on or around New Year's Day and are among the oldest bowl games played.
The NY6 began in 2014 with the inception of the College Football Playoff, replacing the Bowl Championship Series (BCS). The BCS was a selection system that created five bowl game matchups involving ten of the top-ranked teams in the FBS, including an opportunity for the top two teams to compete in the BCS National Championship Game. The NY6 expanded to 12 teams in 2024, with the addition of four first-round games held before the quarterfinals.
The NY6 rotates hosting the College Football Playoff semifinal games on a three-year cycle, pairing the Rose and Sugar, Orange and Cotton, and Peach and Fiesta bowls together over three seasons. The National Championship game may be considered part of the NY6, depending on the context.
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Frequently asked questions
The New Year's 6 (NY6) are the following NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) bowl games: the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl.
The New Year's 6 bowl games are traditionally played annually on or around New Year's Day.
The New Year's 6 bowl games are some of the oldest in college football, with the first Rose Bowl taking place in 1902. The New Year's 6 now serve as the quarterfinals and semifinals of the College Football Playoff (CFP).
The 12 teams who play in the NY6 are selected by committee, including the top four seeds that participate in the Playoffs, while the remaining eight spots belong to teams within a certain criterion.

























