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Report: Alternate sites and other contingencies being discussed for this year’s Rose Bowl

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

The status for the Grandaddy of Them All continues to be in a bit of limbo as the college football season heads for its conclusion, according to a recent report by Yahoo! Sports’ Pete Thamel.

According to Thamel, the leadership of the Rose Bowl remains confident in the ability of the bowl to be played. But some of the restrictions in the state of California could pose a problem to holding the Rose Bowl this season.

According to Thamel, multiple sources are discussing alternate plans for the game:

Multiple sources told Yahoo Sports there are discussions and contingencies about alternative sites and plans for the Rose Bowl this season. According to sources, those options include playing the Rose Bowl in a different location — AT&T Stadium in the Dallas area is a popular suggestion.

The Rose Bowl was also supposed to host a semifinal for the College Football Playoff. One contingency reported by Thamel would be having the semifinal moved to an alternate location while still having the traditional Rose Bowl hosted in Pasadena.

Another issue, however, as reported by Thamel is the current restriction that no spectators would be allowed inside the Rose Bowl due to regulations inside the state of California. As it currently stands, it is unclear if that restriction would apply to families of players and is likely a huge factor in a potential decision:

The Rose Bowl made clear they’ve asked for special permission for families to attend and so far have been denied. This looms as a key for them hosting the game in the eyes of college sports officials.

“They have obviously come out and said there will be no spectators,” an industry source said. “I understand there’s some complications that come with that if there’s truly zero people in the building. That’s the issue that’s being discussed.”

This will definitely be a situation to keep an eye on.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.