Los Angeles, which will host the Super Bowl in February, has begun preparations for the 2023 College Football Playoff national championship game, which will also be held at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium.
SoFi Stadium and Los Angeles are on the clock following the national 2022 championship game won by Georgia over Alabama at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The 2023 CFP National Championship is scheduled nearly 11 months to the day after Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13, 2022, the first NFL title game in Los Angeles in almost three decades.
“We have eagerly awaited this moment since the bid was awarded to Los Angeles in 2017,” said James Rishwain, chairman of the Los Angeles College Football Playoff National Championship Host Committee. “We are excited to deploy the region’s tremendous venues and assets – diversity, creativity, entertainment – as well as its storied history of hosting the world’s biggest sporting events, including the Olympics, World Cup and All-Star Weekends.”
The Los Angeles area last hosted the college football championship – then known as the BCS National Championship Game – in 2014 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, won by Texas over hometown favorites USC. The Los Angeles region has hosted the college football championship four previous times in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014.
“Los Angeles is one of the world’s greatest cities, known for its elite track record of hosting the top sports and entertainment events,” said Bill Hancock, College Football Playoff executive director. “SoFi Stadium provides a state-of-the-art venue for the College Football Playoff National Championship, which is only further elevated by the region’s unique vibrancy.”
Hosting the CFP is the latest in L.A.’s run of big events in the decade ahead including the 2022 MLB All-Star Game, 123rd U.S. Open Championship, 2026 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games. In addition, the region has submitted a bid to be a host city for FIFA World Cup 2026.
“The CFP National Championship and major events like it deliver unparalleled opportunities to benefit our local businesses, non-profit organizations, and communities throughout the region,” said Kathryn Schloessman, president and chief executive officer of the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission. “We are thrilled to seize this tremendous opportunity to bring people together and benefit our local businesses.”