A 1-1 draw at Rochdale saw Bradford finish the season in fifth place and book a Sky Bet League One play-off semi-final against Fleetwood.
Keith Hill's Rochdale went into the game knowing that should Millwall and Southend slip up, a victory over the Bantams would hand them the final play-off berth.
When Stuart McCall named a team with no less than nine changes to the side which had beaten AFC Wimbledon, the hosts might have imagined their opponents' thoughts were already on the play-off semi-finals.
But the Bantams matched Dale's appetite for the contest and took the lead in the ninth minute, Alex Gilliead advancing into the area down the right and squaring for Alex Jones, who wrong-footed Conrad Logan with a neat finish.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing was denied by Rouven Sattelmaier when one on one with the Bradford goalkeeper and the stopper later pushed over Calvin Andrew's shot.
Bradford twice hit the woodwork through Gilliard and Daniel Devine either side of the break, but Rochdale deservedly drew level through Matty Lund in the 66th minute.