College Football Playoff semifinal at Rose Bowl relocated to Texas

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly put pressure on the College Football Playoff, saying Friday he was “not sure” his team would play if families were not allowed at the Rose Bowl for the semifinal. Ohio State coach Ryan Day heaped on additional pressure, echoing a similar sentiment Saturday.

So late Saturday night, the Tournament of Roses announced the Rose Bowl would be moved to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, a location that can allow family members to attend. The Rose Bowl made two appeals — one in November and another in December — to the state to make an exception to coronavirus restrictions to allow a small number of fans, but both requests were denied.

“While the Pasadena Tournament of Roses is extremely disappointed that this year’s game will not take place at the iconic Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, the decision to move the game is based on the growing number of COVID-19 cases in Southern California along with the inability to host player and coach guests at any game in California,” a release read.

The Tournament of Roses also mentioned that the “significant strain on medical resources throughout Los Angeles County” played a factor in the decision, wanted to ensure the safety of the athletes coming to play in the game.

“We know that the decision was not an easy one to make,” David Eads, Tournament of Roses CEO and Executive Director, said in a statement. “While we remain confident that a game could have been played at the Rose Bowl Stadium, as evident in the other collegiate and professional games taking place in the region, the projection of COVID-19 cases in the region has continued on an upward trend.”

It’s unclear if the College Football Playoff semifinal — now held in Arlington — will still be called the CFP Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One. There are sponsorship concerns involved, with the name part of a Master License Agreement, co-owned by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses and the City of Pasadena.

The game will still be held on New Year’s Day on ESPN.

“We are very grateful to Rose Bowl officials and the City of Pasadena,” Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoff, said in a release. “They have worked hard to listen to the concerns of the CFP, the teams that might have played there, and their state and government officials,”