The Grandaddy of Them All Bowl Games, the Rose Bowl, will have a new home for 2021, almost certainly, per a Los Angeles Times report.
College Football Playoff semifinal at Rose Bowl on the verge of being relocated https://t.co/kOYz9YZRMm
— Sam Farmer (@LATimesfarmer) December 19, 2020
The game is scheduled to be one of the two College Football Playoff semifinals along with the Sugar Bowl.
Per the LA Times:
A decision is imminent on keeping the game in Pasadena or moving it to a site out of state that would allow the family and friends of participants to attend. The Tournament of Roses has been rebuffed in its two appeals to state health officials to allow 400-500 spectators in the 95,000-seat stadium for the Jan. 1 game.
According to individuals familiar with the discussions, the idea of keeping the game in Pasadena has lost steam. It’s up to the Pasadena City Council to decide whether to allow the “Rose Bowl Game” moniker to be used by another location.
A possible landing spot would be AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. However, that stadium is set to host the Cotton Bowl Classic on Dec. 30, which would make the turnaround a challenge
The COVID-19 pandemic has shut down virtually all of Southern California, which has become the epicenter of the virus.
Tournament of Roses officials made a concerted effort for family and friends to attend the game, but received a two-page letter from the state Thursday night denying the latest appeal.
“We understand the honor and tradition that takes place in Pasadena in participating in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day,” wrote Erica Pan, acting state health officer at the California Department of Health. “However, there are no boundaries to this virus.”
The 1942 Rose Bowl was the 28th edition played on Jan. 1. Originally scheduled for the Rose Bowl it was moved to Durham, North Carolina, due to fears about an attack by the Japanese on the West Coast of the United States following the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Oregon State Beavers of the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) defeated the host Duke Blue Devils of the Southern Conference 20–16 in Duke Stadium.
