The College Football Playoff semifinal scheduled for the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Jan. 1 is no longer going to be played in California, it was announced Saturday.
The game has been moved to AT&T Stadium in Texas, College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock said.
The CFP management committee and Tournament of Roses mutually agreed to relocate the game because of the growing number of COVID-19 cases in Southern California, according to Hancock.
“The game in Dallas will still be played in the mid-afternoon window on New Year’s Day,” Hancock said in a statement. “We are pleased that parents and loved ones will now be able to see their students play in the game.”
Statement from Bill Hancock, Executive Director, College Football Playoff » https://t.co/NnWETsHgNN#CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/t9CpVWTic9
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) December 20, 2020
The official statement:
“The College Football Playoff Management Committee and Tournament of Roses have mutually agreed that, given the growing number of COVID-19 cases in Southern California, the CFP semifinal game previously scheduled to be played at the Rose Bowl Stadium will now be played at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, TX.
“The game in Dallas will still be played in the mid-afternoon window on New Year’s Day.
“We are pleased that parents and loved ones will now be able to see their students play in the game.
“We are very grateful to Rose Bowl officials and the City of Pasadena. 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. The Tournament of Roses has acted in the best interest of the people who live in Southern California. And we’re grateful to Cotton Bowl and AT&T Stadium officials for their ability to make this late switch possible.
“Add this to the list of ways 2020 has demanded flexibility and last-minute accommodation from everyone in college football. Given all the complexities and difficulties involved, this is the best outcome for everyone concerned.”
The last time the Rose Bowl game was played outside Pasadena, California, was 1942. The game between Oregon State and Duke was played in Durham, NC, because the West Coast was deemed unsafe after the attacks on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
What will the game be called at AT&T Stadium? That is in limbo.
The name is part of licensing agreement and is co-owned by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses and the City of Pasadena.