Which college football game is traditionally associated with New Year's Day in Pasadena?

The college football game traditionally associated with New Year’s Day in Pasadena is the Rose Bowl Game.

The contest began on January 1, 1902, as the Tournament East–West football game. It was created by Pasadena’s Tournament of Roses Association to add a football attraction to the New Year celebration and help draw visitors to the city. Michigan defeated Stanford 49–0 in that inaugural game.

Football was absent from the event for several years after the one-sided opener, but the game returned in 1916 and has been played annually since then. The current Rose Bowl stadium hosted its first game on January 1, 1923; earlier contests were held at Tournament Park.

The Rose Bowl is nicknamed “The Granddaddy of Them All” because it was the first established postseason college football bowl game. It is often confused with the Rose Parade, which takes place in Pasadena on the same holiday, usually before the game. Since the College Football Playoff expanded, the Rose Bowl can also serve as a playoff quarterfinal or semifinal, but its New Year’s Day identity remains central.