A ROSE BOWL BROUGHT TO YOU BY ... ?

COVID rules could force first site change since 1942, but ESPN might save the day.

For the f irst time since World War II forced the Rose Bowl eastward to Durham, N. C., in 1942, serious consideration has been given this year to the game not being played at its rightful home in Pasadena.

But, as of Tuesday night, the city and the Tournament of Roses had found fresh optimism. ESPN, which each year broadcasts the Rose Bowl from coast to coast, could be the reason the storied game stays in Pasadena in 2021.

The network is expected to announce a new presenting sponsor for the Rose Bowl game as soon as Wednesday, one that replaces Northwestern Mutual. That $ 25- million- peryear deal, signed in 2015, has expired.

If the game were to be moved because of California’s stringent pandemic regulations, it would not be called the Rose Bowl, as that branding stays in Pasadena. Certainly, that could be a significant issue for ESPN and its new presenting sponsor.

The 2021 Rose Bowl is one of the College Football Playoff’s national semifinals, still scheduled for its traditional New Year’s Day afternoon kickoff time. As its rules are written, California would not allow for the game to be played with family members in attendance, a key detail that has put the game in question with the CFP management committee.

The Tournament of Roses has been in discussions with state officials, according to an individual familiar with the negotiations but not authorized to speak on them publicly. The argument for allowing families to attend is that the Rose Bowl has 95,000 seats with more than 50 suites, which should allow for proper social distancing. Thus far, the state does not seem to be budging.

That inaction did not stop CFP executive director Bill Hancock from releasing a statement Tuesday afternoon that indicated California did not have to make an exception for the Rose Bowl in order for the game to remain in Pasadena. “At this moment, the College Football Playoff looks forward to playing one of the two semif inal playoff games at the Rose Bowl, as scheduled. ( The other semifinal will take place at the Sugar Bowl),” Hancock said. “As we move forward with our planning, we continue to hope that the Rose Bowl’s appeal to government officials to allow the families of student- athletes to attend will be permitted, just as student- athlete families will be welcomed at the Sugar Bowl, the other New Years’ Six games and the Championship game in Miami.”

The possibility of the Rose Bowl not being played was f irst reported by Yahoo Sports last weekend.

Based on Tuesday’s CFP rankings, the matchup probably would emerge from a pool of Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson and Ohio State. None are located west of the Mississippi River and would be asked to travel across the country during the worst wave of the pandemic to play in front of no fans.

Though the conferences involved would prefer to avoid that scenario and play at a location where families at a minimum could attend, ESPN, which reportedly pays $ 470 million annually to broadcast the CFP, could have more sway in determining whether the 2021 Rose Bowl takes place.