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Rose Bowl Stadium will not host the College Football Playoff semifinal game after coaches floated the idea of boycotting if parents were not allowed at the facility.
California denied a special exemption to allow fans in the stands for the Jan. 1 game earlier in the day, according to multiple reports. Coronavirus restrictions had banned fans in the stands for sporting events in Los Angeles County.
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The game was subsequently moved from Pasadena, Calif., to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
"We know that the decision was not an easy one to make," David Eads, Tournament of Roses CEO and Executive Director, said in a news release late Saturday. "While we remain confident that a game could have been played at the Rose Bowl Stadium, as 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."
Bill Hancock, Executive Director of the College Football Playoff, added: "We are very grateful to Rose Bowl officials and the City of Pasadena. They have worked hard to listen to the concerns of the CFP, the teams that might have played there, and their state and government officials."
Officials said it wasn’t determined whether the semifinal matchup will still be the Rose Bowl. The name is part of a license agreement and is co-owned by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses and the City of Pasadena.
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly floated the idea of skipping the semifinal game if parents were not allowed at the stadium.
"I'm not sure we'll play in the playoffs if the parents can't be there," Kelly told reporters, via ESPN. "Why would be we play if you can't have families at the game? If you can't have families at bowl games, why would you go to a game where your families can't be part of it? What's the sense of playing a game in an area of the country where nobody can be part of it?"
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Clemson coach Dabo Swinney supported the idea as well.
The Rose Bowl Game has been held at other stadiums in its history, though very early. Tournament Park in Pasadena was the site of the game in 1902 and then from 1916-1922. The game was held in Durham Stadium in North Carolina in 1942 because of fears it could be a target for Japan to attack after Pearl Harbor.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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