* ABC has announced a national championship game with a four-year deal, plus a three-year option, that guarantees a national college football champion.

* Beginning after the 1998 season, the teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2 will play bowl game around New Year's Day for the National title.

* The game will rotate among the Rose Bowl and three other bowls to be determined.

* No bowl game can have more than one national championship game in a four-year period.

* The Rose Bowl game will be the national championship game no later than 2002, as soon as 1999 if the No. 1 team is from the Pac-10 or Big Ten.

ROSE BOWL FACTS

Rose Bowl capacity: 102,083

Largest crowd: 1973, USC 42, Ohio State 17, 106,869

1996: USC 41, Northwestern 32, 100,102

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Games where the AP national champion played in the Rose Bowl:

1948: No. 2 Michigan 49, No. 8 USC 0

1955: No. 1 Ohio State 20, USC 7

1961: No. 6 Washington 17, No.1 Minnesota 7 (Despite loss, Minnesota won national championship)

1963: No. 1 USC 42, No.2 Wisconsin 37

1968: No. 1 USC 14, No. 4 Indiana 3

1969: No. 1 Ohio State 27, No. 2 USC 16

1973: No. 1 USC 42, Ohio State 17

1979: No. 1 USC 17, No. 5 Michigan 10