Who is the home team in the Orange Bowl 2025? All you need to know

The Orange Bowl is set. Needing just one win to get to the College Football Playoff national championship game, storied programs Penn State and Notre Dame will meet on Thursday. Here's everything you need to know about the semifinal clash.

Who is the home team in the Orange Bowl 2025?

No. 6 Penn State (13-2) will serve as the home team in the Orange Bowl. Away team Notre Dame (13-1) is the No. 7 seed in the College Football Playoff.

Penn State is entering the after solid wins against No. 11 SMU in the first round and No. 3 Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. During the latter, the Nittany Lions limited Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty to 104 rushing yards, his fewest in any contest this season. Jeanty, the Heisman Trophy runner-up, had run for at least 200 yards in six different outings this season.

Meanwhile, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar threw three touchdown passes, two to standout tight end Tyler Warren and tailback Kaytron Allen ate up 134 yards on the ground. Allen's backfield mate, Nicholas Singleton, rushed for 87 yards and a score.

Notre Dame reached the final four by getting past No. 10 Indiana in the opening round and No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. The Fighting Irish limited the Bulldogs to just one touchdown in New Orleans. Notre Dame pulled away for good by scoring 10 points in 12 seconds late in the first half.

In that game, though, the Fighting Irish were out-gained 296-244. Passer Riley Leonard only had 90 passing yards and one touchdown through the air. He also led his team with 80 rushing yards.

Orange Bowl 2025 location

The game will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. The bowl game has always been played in the Miami area, having been played at Miami Field (1935-37), the Miami Orange Bowl (1938-96, 1999) and Hard Rock Stadium (1996-98, 2000-present).

The venue underwent a $350 million renovation in 2015, adding an open-air canopy, among other amenities. The venue has also been the site for six Super Bowls, most recently Super Bowl LIV. This will mark the fourth time the Orange Bowl hosts a College Football Playoff semifinal, having also done so during the 2015, 2018 and 2021 seasons.

Penn State last played in the Orange Bowl in 2006 against Florida State. It was the final meeting between iconic head coaches Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden. Notre Dame hasn't taken part in that bowl game since 1996.

Who sponsors the Orange Bowl?

Capital One is the game's sponsor. Capital One has sponsored the game since 2014. The game was previously sponsored by FedEx (1989-2010) and Discover (2011-14).

Who is favored to win Orange Bowl?

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Notre Dame is a -120 moneyline favorite. Penn State has +100 odds to win the matchup and advance to the College Football Playoff national title game.

The Fighting Irish are -1.5 on the spread (-110). Notre Dame has won a dozen in a row after a 16-14 upset home loss to Northern Illinois on Sept. 7. Marcus Freeman's crew has been victorious by an average of 26.9 points during that win streak.

The Nittany Lions powered through the test that was a Big 10 schedule, with its only losses on the season coming to fellow semifinalist Ohio State and Big 10-champion Oregon in the conference's championship tilt. Penn State is 12-1 against non-conference opponents since the beginning of the 2022 campaign.