Mayor Victor Gordo told Pasadena Now that the City monitored very closely the negotiations between the Tournament of Roses and the College Football Playoff.
On Wednesday night Pasadena Now reported that the CFP had come to terms with the Rose Bowl allowing the CFP to triple the teams in its playoff system.
The CFP planned to use the Rose Bowl and five other games, the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach and Sugar bowls on a rotating basis for its playoff games.
The CFP would have decided when the games would be played, which meant the Rose Bowl may not have been played on Jan. 1.
But any changes to the Rose Bowl Game could violate a Master License Agreement between the Tournament of Roses and the City.
However, per the MLA, playoff games can be held on other dates in January.
The agreement defines the Rose Bowl Game as a game played in the Rose Bowl Stadium on Jan. 1, or Jan. 2, if Jan. 1 falls on a Sunday.
The Master Licensing Agreement defines the working relationship between the Tournament of Roses and the City of Pasadena. It encompasses many things, including the Rose Parade, the Rose Bowl Game, and the use of facilities.
The Tournament owns the game, but the City owns the stadium.
“The matter was monitored very closely,” Gordo told Pasadena Now. “The City has a strong contractual agreement, but like any other agreement we had to monitor it closely and we will continue to do that.”
A meeting at the highest level was held with City officials and members of the Tournament of Roses on Wednesday.
“We have to stay informed in real time in order to ensure that the spirit of our partnership and the letter of our agreement stay intact,” Gordo said, “And it does.”
Neither the Rose Bowl Stadium nor the City were part of the negotiations.
According to Laura Farber, chair of the Tournament of Roses Management Committee, the Tournament always works closely with the City of Pasadena on the annual Rose Bowl Game and the Rose Parade.
“We are aligned in our interest and will continue to work with the system.” she said.”
The game was defined in the agreement after the City Council barely defeated a motion that would have given the NFL control of the iconic stadium.
“We committed to the voters that we would pursue renovations to the stadium to keep it relevant,” Gordo said.
As part of that $200 million process the City went back to its tenants for assurances they would remain at the Rose Bowl Stadium, the tenants included UCLA, the flea market and the Tournament of Roses.
So far there have been no efforts to change that agreement.
“The action that Tournament took is within their purview. The Tournament has the flexibility to say who will play there,” Gordo said.
Gordo said football fans across the country looking for a strong playoff system will expect the Granddaddy of Them to be involved in a national playoff system.
“To display the Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 1 at the Rose Bowl Stadium and include the CFP will remind everyone that the Rose Bowl Stadium should and must be a part of any playoff system, or in my opinion that playoff system would fall short,” Gordo said.
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One thought on “City Closely Monitored Developments in CFP Negotiations”
And as the city deteriorates with panhandlers, vagrants,trash, etc the city is focusing on college football. Paseo Colorado mall is a ghost town. The major movie theater is gone. The one concert venue in the city is gone. Mom and pop businesses are closing to make way for overpriced corporate businesses. Affordable apartments are gone as the city keeps allowing luxury apartments to be built all over town. The taxes are the highest in the nation but city services are almost no on my existent. All this and the mayor is focused on football. Really?