College Football Playoff semifinal game will be played without fans
This season, the Rose Bowl is one of the two games that will serve as a semifinal matchup for the College Football Playoff. However, it’s not going to have the typical Playoff atmosphere.
On Thursday, the Rose Bowl announced that there will not be fans in attendance for this season’s contest, which is set to take place Jan. 1 in Pasadena, Calif. The decision was made due to the COVID-19 restrictions that have been put in place by California, Los Angeles County and the City of Pasadena.
“While we are disappointed that the Rose Bowl Game will not be played in front of spectators, we are pleased that we are still able to hold the game this year, continuing the 100-year plus tradition of The Granddaddy of Them All,” Pasadena Tournament of Roses executive director and CEO David Eads said in a statement. “We continue to work closely with health department officials and the Rose Bowl Stadium to provide the safest possible environment for our game participants.”
In the announcement, it was revealed that the Tournament of Roses had requested for a “limited number of spectators or a select number of student-athlete and coach guests” to be allowed to attend the game, but that was denied.
Still, in a year in which some bowl games are getting canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Rose Bowl will at least go on as planned. And it’s sure to be an exciting matchup, as it will feature two of the top four teams in the country playing for a chance to advance to the CFP National Championship Game.
Currently, Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson and Ohio State hold the top four spots in the CFP rankings, respectively. The Nos. 1 and 4 seeds and the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds will be facing off in a pair of semifinal matchups — the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl, both of which will occur on New Year’s Day.
The semifinal winners will advance to face off in the CFP National Championship Game, which will take place Jan. 11 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
California isn’t messing around with their Covid regulations. They better have a back-up venue ready in case things go sideways with the Rose Bowl.
Their governor Gavin Bang Your wife Newsome managed to go to French Laundry a high end restaurant when he basically banned Thanksgiving.
So glad I left that state years ago. It used to be a great state and a great place to live, work and vacation. Now, not so much. Bunch of idiots & fools.
Do as I tell you, not as I do.
Or, the rules are for you peasants, not for us the elite
Awesome, let’s just move it to Durham, NC, again. I know it’s been 75+ years, but I’m sure they can pull it off.
This doesn’t make any sense at all, they don’t want any sports played, just skip the looney toon wackos and move the game to a Florida venue.
Cancel the venue of LA and New Orleans and have the semis and CFPNCG in Miami. Have a bubble like the NBA. There will be fans anyway if these games were played in the aforementioned cities.
*be NO fans..
Why Miami. They are getting killed with the virus. Not exactly a great sports town either.
I guess that is where the natty would be played. Not sure where a good place would be. It seems like it’s bad everywhere.
True.
Orlando would be a great spot for the bubble.
MOVE THE GAME – find another location with fewer nitwits in charge! OR have them BOTH at the Super Dome – one at 2 and the other at 8! Clear out the building after the first game and let the 2nd game ticket holders in! Check the bathrooms for people hiding!
What idiot thought a big bowl game should be played in Pac 12 panic-land…. or in Big 10 lawsuit land. All of the important Bowl games need to be played in Big 12, SEC, and ACC territory and nobody who hasn’t played at least 10 games should be invited. There is no point in restricting fans at Bowl game either. Let them all come in and wear masks and they can voluntarily isolate themselves for 10 days afterwards.