Sights And Sounds: "Best Day Ever" At The 2025 Rose Bowl

The theme of the 2025 Tournament of Roses Parade was “Best Day Ever” and with the way New Year’s Day played out, many Ohio State fans would agree.

A day that dawned with a picturesque sunrise at the parade, ended with a 100 percent chance of confetti showers as the Buckeyes celebrated a 41-21 demolition of top-ranked Oregon that sees them advance to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff against Texas in the Cotton Bowl.

Whether you were in the stadium or watching on TV, it’s a day that Ohio State fans are going to want to re-live for years to come. Here’s a comprehensive look at what it was like to be in Pasadena on New Year’s Day 2025.

The day started with the traditional Tournament of Roses Parade. Brutus and the OSU cheerleaders were on a float and The Ohio State Marching Band performed. (Note: the video is silent for a short period before the OSU band gets there due to a copyright issue. There is sound for the Ohio State section)

After the parade, thousands of fans made the walk down from Colorado Blvd to the Rose Bowl stadium for the game. The stadium is one of the most iconic in all of American sports, and spending a New Year’s Day watching the Rose Bowl game is a bucket list item for many college football fans. Here’s a look around the stadium in the hours before the gates open.

The Rose Bowl stands out in the minds of millions of Americans because while it’s often cold and gray across the nation on New Year’s Day, the sun is seemingly always shining in Pasadena, and the field is in pristine shape. Get an up-close look around the Rose Bowl field, starting at the Ohio State locker room, and walking all the way around the field.

The famous Rose Bowl sunset is an annual tradition at the end of the third quarter. Tony Gerdeman put together a time-lapse video of this year’s sunset from the top of the stadium.

https://twitter.com/TonyGerdeman/status/1874733656608260386

By the time the Rose Bowl celebrated the traditional playing of Ohio State’s “Hang On Sloopy” and Oregon’s “Shout” toward the end of the third quarter, the game was well in hand, and Buckeye fans could just relax and sing along. Loudly.

https://twitter.com/TomOrr4/status/1874620988945772956

When they played Oregon’s traditional post-third quarter song, “Shout,” a number of the Buckeyes were in a dancing mood.

https://twitter.com/TonyGerdeman/status/1874621726421922229

After the game, it was time to party. Get a front-row look at the on-field celebrations from two different angles.