Signs pointed to it, and now we have confirmation. According to a statement released by the College Football Playoff late Saturday, the playoff semifinal that was to be played in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, will be moved to AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, because of growing coronavirus concerns in Southern California. The Rose Bowl is in the rotation as one of the two semifinal sites for the playoff this year, so the news is significant.

“The College Football Playoff Management Committee and Tournament of Roses have mutually agreed that, given the growing number of COVID-19 cases in Southern California, the CFP semifinal game previously scheduled to be played at the Rose Bowl Stadium will now be played at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, TX,” said Bill Hancock, Executive Director of the College Football Playoff.

“The game in Dallas will still be played in the mid-afternoon window on New Year’s Day,” continued Hancock. “We are pleased that parents and loved ones will now be able to see their students play in the game.

“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.”

“Add this to the list of ways 2020 has demanded flexibility and last-minute accommodation from everyone in college football. Given all the complexities and difficulties involved, this is the best outcome for everyone concerned.”

So, for those of you hoping Ohio State would have another date in Pasadena, that will no longer be the case. The trip would have been bittersweet anyway because the decision had already been made to not allow fans to attend the venerable game.

Now, any way you slice it, there the Buckeyes will be playing closer to home, so that’s not a terrible development.

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