In the event that any of the top four teams cannot compete in the college football playoff due to COVID-19, CFP has set makeup dates for January for both the semifinals and the national championship, the director CFP executive Bill Hancock told ESPN Wednesday.
There were no indications from the teams or the CFP that a change would be needed, but if both semifinal games need to be postponed, the CFP targeted January 11 for The Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One and January 12 for the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The makeup date for the National College Football Championship, presented by AT&T, is January 18 – one week after the current January 11 date – at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
If both teams in a semifinal are available, the game will be played as scheduled, even if the other competition must be postponed. If a semifinal is delayed, the plan is to reschedule it for January 11th.
Alabama no. 1 and Notre Dame no. 4 are scheduled to play Friday at 4 p.m. ET in the Rose Bowl, followed by No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Ohio State at 8:00 p.m. ET in the Sugar Bowl.
“Everyone intends to play the games as scheduled,” Hancock said. “Teams, school staff and home staff have worked hard to provide an opportunity for players. COVID procedures are in place in hotels and stadiums. We have prepared thoroughly and we are ready. But it always makes sense to be prepared, even for circumstances that we do not believe will happen. “
Hancock said the makeup dates were set considering that the Rose Bowl includes the tallest seed, Alabama.
If a game is rescheduled, the locations would remain the same, Hancock said. This year’s Rose Bowl is at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and the Sugar Bowl remains at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
“Of course, we’ll take care of things and adjust if necessary,” Hancock said. “The bowl season has started in an interesting way and we intend to continue this.”