AT&T Stadium to host CFP semifinal on New Year’s Day originally scheduled for Rose Bowl
AT&T Stadium will become the temporary home for the Rose Bowl this season, hosting the College Football Playoff semifinal on New Year’s Day that was originally scheduled to be played at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California.
No. 1 Alabama will face No. 4 Notre Dame in the matchup.
CFP executive director Bill Hancock announced the decision late Saturday night, citing the growing number of COVID-19 cases in Southern California.
Families of players would not have been allowed to attend the CFP semifinal at the Rose Bowl. They will be able to at AT&T Stadium, which will host the Cotton Bowl two nights before on Dec. 30.
“We are pleased that parents and loved ones will now be able to see their students play in the game,” Hancock said in a statement. “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. The Tournament of Roses has acted in the best interest of the people who live in Southern California.
“And we’re grateful to Cotton Bowl and AT&T Stadium officials for their ability to make this late switch possible.”
It’s unclear what the game will officially be named.
Kickoff for the game is expected to remain at 4 p.m. and be televised on ESPN. The Sugar Bowl is scheduled to host the other semifinal that night.
AT&T Stadium has hosted two CFP semifinals in the 2015 and 2018 seasons, and hosted the inaugural CFP title game for the 2014 season.
This story was originally published December 20, 2020 at 4:52 AM.
