Less than a week before this year’s College Football Playoff pairings get announced, some of the potential participants are lobbying to move the site of one of the semifinals.
No big deal, but it would only require blowing up the CFP’s relationship with a storied event known as the Granddaddy of Them All.
People with knowledge of the discussions have told The Athletic that several members of the Management Committee that runs the CFP — at least the ACC, SEC and Notre Dame — are making a case to relocate the Jan. 1 semifinal scheduled to take place in Pasadena, due primarily to California restrictions that would prevent players’ family members from attending. At least four of the remaining Playoff contenders, No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Clemson and No. 5 Texas A&M — are represented by voices that want to move the game.
The CFP Management Committee is meeting Tuesday and Thursday and could make a decision at any time this week, according to a CFP source. The most likely alternative would be AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The Rose Bowl Game brand is co-owned by the city of Pasadena, so if the College Football Playoff semifinal is played at another venue, it will not be allowed to use the Rose Bowl name. And the Tournament of Roses would not likely host a different game.
