Capital One Orange Bowl College Football Playoff Semifinals

The 91st edition of what’s now called the Capital One Orange Bowl returns to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Thursday, January 9, 2025.

While the competing teams have yet to be determined, they will be the Atlantic Coast Conference champion (or the highest-ranked ACC team, if the champion is in the playoff), playing against the highest-ranked, non-playoff, non-champion from the Big Ten or the SEC. The teams will be announced during the month of December.

First played in 1935, the Orange Bowl is the second-oldest college football bowl game, behind only the Rose Bowl, which debuted in 1902. The Sugar Bowl and Sun Bowl were also first played in 1935.

Read on for a recap of the 2024 Capital One Orange Bowl

Tickets & Game Day Info

Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m. Eastern time, and the game will be carried on ESPN.

For those who want to join 65,000 or so other fans in witnessing the clash of top college teams in person, tickets are available via Ticketmaster.

Before the game, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., ticket holders can enjoy a family-friendly Fan Fest at the stadium, including live musical performances, food and beverage vendors, a zipline, free fall, bungee trampoline, rock-climbing wall, face painters, caricaturists and interactive games.

Where to Watch the Orange Bowl

If you don’t have tickets to attend the Orange Bowl in person but want to celebrate the game in Greater Miami & Miami Beach, you can enjoy the show on ESPN with other fans at local bars and restaurants.

• The Clevelander on Ocean Drive in South Beach is an exciting spot to take in a game. With a sprawling outdoor patio complete with a 20-foot LED screen, 40 flat-screen TVs, multiple bars and a swimming pool, this Art Deco gem across the street from the ocean is classic South Beach.
• The Batch Gastropub in Brickell is a lively sports bar with tantalizing pub grub ranging from Buffalo chicken nachos to truffle fries and their signature “Mac Attack,” made with gnocchi, gruyere and spicy Dorito dust – not to mention a craft cocktail menu to rival the range of craft beers on tap.
• With locations in South Beach and Coral Gables, Yard House is always a solid game-day choice. Lined with flat-screen TVs and with more than 100 beers on tap, Yard House also offers plenty of tasty bites on the menu, from firecracker shrimp and Wisconsin cheese curds to Baja fish tacos and Korean BBQ Cheesesteak sandwiches.
• Black Market has two sports bars in Downtown Miami, including one in Bayside Marketplace overlooking the marina. Both celebrate Miami-style 1980s nostalgia and both are ideal for watching sports, with more than 30 4K televisions and a DJ to fill in during commercials.

The Orange Bowl’s Hall of Fame

Every year, the Orange Bowl inducts some of the great players and coaches of Orange Bowl history into its Hall of Fame. Inductees in 2022 were Bernard Clark Jr., a linebacker for the University of Miami who appeared in the Orange Bowl in 1988 and 1989; Dewey Selmon, a linebacker who played for the University of Oklahoma in the 1976 event; and Grant Wistrom, a University of Nebraska defensive lineman who played in three Orange Bowls, in 1995, 1996 and 1998.

Getting to Hard Rock Stadium

Reach Hard Rock Stadium effortlessly through a variety of transportation options. Brightline, South Florida’s high-speed rail service, offers a direct route to the Aventura Station, where a regularly scheduled complimentary shuttle service will take you to and from the stadium. Additionally, Miami's comprehensive public transit network provides alternate routes via Metrorail and Metrobus. Explore your transportation options further by taking advantage of taxi services or rideshare services, such as Uber or Lyft. For those opting to drive, ample parking is available, and the stadium offers a SunPass program as a less expensive parking option.

By: Shane Benowitz