The game will be moved to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, because the families of the football teams could not participate in a game at the Rose Bowl. The Rose Tournament said it received the news later this week that the state of California will not make a special exception for guest players at the game.
In a statement, College Football Playoff CEO Bill Hancock said it was a mutual agreement of the College Football Playoff and Rose Tournament Management Committee “given the increased number of COVID-19 cases in California South”.
“We are pleased that parents and loved ones will now be able to see their students playing in the game,” Hancock said.
“We are very grateful to Rose Bowl and Pasadena officials. They worked hard to listen to the concerns of the CFP, the teams that could have played there and their state and government officials. The Roses Tournament acted in the best interests of the people living in Southern California, and we are grateful to Cotton Bowl and AT&T Stadium officials for their ability to make this late change possible.
“Add this to the list of ways 2020 has required 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-a-side football playoff will be announced on Sunday. The semifinals will be on January 1, and the national championship game is scheduled for January 11 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
“We know the decision was not an easy one to make,” David Eads, CEO and CEO of the Roses Tournament, said in a statement. “Although we remain confident that a game could have been played at Rose Bowl Stadium, as is 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. “
On Friday, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly told reporters he was not sure if his team would play in the playoffs if families could not be there. Kelly supported moving the semifinal to the Rose Bowl to another location.
“They need to figure out how to make sure that no matter what sites they play, parents will watch their children play,” Kelly said.
Clemson’s head coach, Dabo Swinney, returned to Kelly’s statements on Friday.
“It doesn’t make sense for me to put a bunch of kids on a plane and fly them to California to play in an empty stadium. This does not make sense when you have many stadiums where you can have fans and, most importantly, you can have families. “
CNN’s Jacob Lev contributed to this report.