College Football Playoff Semifinal at Rose Bowl Moved Due to COVID-19 Restrictions

Just days after Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly threatened to boycott the College Football Playoff if families could not attend, the committee decided to pull the semifinal from the Rose Bowl in light of Pasadena's COVID-19 restrictions.

The game will now be played in Arlington, Texas at AT&T Stadium, The Pasadena Tournament of Roses announced on Saturday evening. It will still be played on Jan. 1, 2021. 

The Tournament of Roses submitted two appeals to state health officials in an effort to allow 400–500 spectators in the 95,000-seat stadium for the Jan. 1 game. However, on Thursday night, they received a two-page letter from the state denying the latest appeal, according to the Los Angeles Times.

COVID-19 restrictions continue to strengthen for Santa Clara County amidst a rise in cases, forcing the San Francisco 49ers to call Arizona home for the remainder of their 2020 NFL season. County officials announced they are extending the restrictions, which include a ban on contact sports, through at least Jan. 8. 

California alone has seen over 1.7 million total coronavirus cases with 278,671 cases in the last seven days alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dashboard.