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The mythology around the Rose Bowl Game goes back more than a century, with generations of teams from the Big Ten and Pac-12 specifically targeting their seasons not to win a national championship, but to win the game that starts at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time right after a flower parade through Pasadena.
But for one year due to Covid-19, the game that will be the semifinal of the College Football Playoff will take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas as first reported by The Athletic. The move was made because authorities with the State of California would not permit any crowds whatsoever to attend in the legendary stadium, including the families of players.
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.
“We know that the decision was not an easy one to make,” said David Eads, Tournament of Roses CEO and Executive Director. “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.”
“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,” said Bill Hancock, Executive Director of the College Football Playoff.
Clemson will likely host another team, as they should be the No. 2 seed when the final College Football Playoff rankings come out tomorrow at 12:15 p.m. on ESPN. Their opponent is likely to be Notre Dame, Ohio State, or Texas A&M, with another one of those three teams sent to New Orleans to play in the Sugar Bowl against No. 1 Alabama.