The game is being moved to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as families of the football teams cannot attend a game at the Rose Bowl. The Tournament of Roses said it received notice late this week that the state of California would not make a special exception for player guests at the game.
In a statement, College Football Playoff Executive Director Bill Hancock said this was a mutual agreement between the College Football Playoff Management Committee and Tournament of Roses “given the growing number of COVID-19 cases in Southern California.”
“We are delighted that parents and loved ones can now see their students play in the game,” said Hancock.
“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 may have played there, and their state and government officials. The Tournament of Roses has acted in the importance of the people living in Southern California, and we are grateful to the Cotton Bowl and AT&T Stadium officials for their ability to make this late move 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 involved.”
The four-team College Football Playoff will be announced on Sunday. The semifinals are on January 1 and the national championship game is scheduled for January 11 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
“We know 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 match could have been played at Rose Bowl Stadium, as evidenced by the other collegiate and professional matches taking place in the region, the projection of COVID-19 cases in the region has been on an upward trend. continued. “
On Friday, Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly told reporters he wasn’t sure his team would play in the playoffs if there couldn’t be families. Kelly supported moving the semi-finals in the Rose Bowl to a different venue.
“They need to figure out how to make sure that whatever sites they play on, the parents will watch their sons play,” Kelly said.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney echoed Kelly’s statements on Friday.
“It doesn’t make sense to put a bunch of kids on a plane and fly them all the way to California to play in an empty stadium. It doesn’t make sense if you have enough stadiums where you can have fans and, most importantly, , you can have families. “
CNN’s Jacob Lev contributed to this report.