The first American college football bowl game, known as the Rose Bowl, was held on January 1, 1902, in Pasadena, California. The game featured the University of Michigan Wolverines and the Stanford University Cardinal. The Rose Bowl was originally designed as a way to showcase college football to the East Coast, as most of the major football teams at the time were located in the Midwest and West.
The game was organized by the Tournament of Roses Association, which was formed in 1890 to promote and fund the cost of the Rose Parade. The association had previously held a parade on New Year’s Day, but the 1902 game marked the first time that a specific team was invited to participate.
Michigan and Stanford were chosen to participate in the inaugural Rose Bowl because they were both considered to be two of the top teams in the country. The game ended in a scoreless tie, but it was considered to be a great success and paved the way for the creation of other bowl games.
Today, the Rose Bowl is still played on New Year’s Day and is one of the most prestigious college football bowl games in the country. It is a part of the College Football Playoff, which determines the national champion of Division I college football. The Rose Bowl continues to be a major event in American sports and culture, and it is widely considered to be the “Granddaddy of all Bowl Games.
References:
https://tournamentofroses.com/about/rose-bowl-game-history/
https://www.bannersociety.com/2020/1/1/21042987/rose-bowl-history-bowl-games
