College Football Playoff semifinal at Rose Bowl moves to Texas
The 2021 College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl is relocating to Texas.
LOS ANGELES — The 2021 College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl is relocating to Texas.
The Tournament of Roses announced on Saturday the game will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in a move that would allow some family and friends of participants to attend the game. The Tournament of Roses was rebuffed in its two appeals to state health officials to allow 400-500 spectators in the 95,000-seat stadium for the Jan. 1 game.
The idea of keeping the game in Pasadena lost steam after the failed appeals, according to individuals familiar with the discussions.
“We know that the decision was not an easy one to make,” said David Eads, Tournament of Roses CEO and Executive Director, 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.”
ESPN announced this week that Capital One will be the game’s new presenting sponsor. It remains unclear if the game will be called the College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One since the official name of the game is co-owned by the Tournament of Roses and the city of Pasadena.
Tournament of Roses officials made a concerted effort for family and friends to attend the game, but received a two-page letter from the state Thursday night denying the latest appeal.
“We understand the honor and tradition that takes place in Pasadena in participating in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day,” wrote Erica Pan, acting state health officer at the California Department of Health. “However, there are no boundaries to this virus.”
Pan called it a “dynamic virus and situation,” and wrote, “This is why we have chosen a slow and stringent science-based approach to determining when activities should open.”
Possible participants in the game are Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Texas A&M. The matchup announcement will be made Sunday.
— The Los Angeles Times