The College Football Playoff has moved the Rose Bowl semifinal game to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, it was announced on Saturday.
The College Football Playoff Management Committee and Tournament of Roses mutually agreed to move the game from Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif., to Arlington due to the “…growing number of COVID-19 cases in Southern California.”
The Rose Bowl Game remains scheduled for New Year’s Day (Friday, Jan. 1, 2021) in the in the mid-afternoon window (5:00pm ET on ESPN).
“We are pleased that parents and loved ones will now be able to see their students play in the game,” Bill Hancock, Executive Director of the College Football Playoff said in a statement. “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.”
Participants in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 20 at approximately 12:15pm ET.
Per the Rose Bowl, it has not yet been determined whether the game in Arlington will be called “…CFP Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One. The name is a part of the Master License Agreement and is co-owned by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses and the City of Pasadena.”
The other College Football Playoff Semifinal host this season is the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The game is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 1, 2021 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, La., and it will be televised at 8:45pm ET on ESPN.
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