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This year’s Rose Bowl Game will be played in an empty stadium.
On Thursday, the Tournament of Roses announced that a request to allow a limited number of fans into the iconic stadium was denied.
“Due to the COVID-19 restrictions set forth by the state of California, Los Angeles County and the City of Pasadena, spectators will not be allowed to attend the 2021 CFP Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game on New Year’s Day,” according to a post on the Rose Bowl Game’s official twitter page
It is not known if a new Stay-at-Home order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday that is expected to impact all of Southern California in a few days will impact college football.
“While we are disappointed that the Rose Bowl Game will not be played in front of spectators, we are pleased that we are still able to hold the game this year, continuing the 100-year plus tradition of The Granddaddy of Them All,” said David Eads in a prepared statement, executive director and CEO of the Tournament of Roses. “We continue to work closely with health department officials and the Rose Bowl Stadium to provide the safest possible environment for our game participants.”
The Rose Bowl is hosting one of the playoff semifinals. The Tournament of Roses Parade has already been canceled for the first time since World War II.
The first Rose Bowl was played on Jan. 1, 1902, beginning the tradition of postseason college football games. In 1942, the game was moved to North Carolina because of fears of an attack by Japan on the U.S. West Coast after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Los Angeles County is under a stay-home order that took effect this week and runs through mid-December. Pasadena has its own public health department and can set its own rules, but has mostly followed the county’s lead during the coronavirus pandemic.
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