Swinney says Playoff staying in Rose Bowl makes "no sense" with no fans

Swinney said it makes zero sense to fly teams across country to the Rose Bowl.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Fri Dec 18 13:28:32 GMT-04:00 2020

Both head coaches participating in Saturday’s ACC Championship game think the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl should be moved to a different location if fans and parents aren’t allowed to attend.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly were on a conference call with the media Friday afternoon to discuss Saturday’s game. No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 3 Clemson square off Saturday in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game.

When the two teams played on Nov. 7 in South Bend, Ind., the Fighting Irish worked double overtime before claiming a 47-40 victory. This time there is considerably more at stake -- namely, a guaranteed spot into the College Football Playoff for the winner.

Alabama is the No. 1 seed and if the Crimson Tide defeats Florida in the SEC Championship Game Saturday, the expectation is that Bama would play against the No. 4 seed in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans – the Sugar Bowl hosts the other semifinal and will have 3,000 fans in attendance.

The other semifinal is the Rose Bowl – scheduled for New Year’s Day – is in limbo because of California’s restrictions due to COVID-19. Kelly said he was unsure if his players would want to play in the game if their parents can’t attend.

“I’m not sure we’ll play in the playoffs if parents can’t be there, to be honest with you. Why would we play if you can’t have the families at the game? So, a bowl game? Yeah, we would opt out,” Kelly said. “If you can’t have families at bowl games, why would you go to a game where your families can’t be part of it? What’s the sense of playing a game in an area of the country where nobody can be part of it? So, it doesn’t surprise me at all. Look, there’s so many sacrifices these kids have had to make, and to go to a bowl game where there’s no real opportunities for them to do anything.

“They’re going to stay on campus, then may show up at the bowl game 24, 48 hours prior to, so there’s no real reward. Go home and see your families, go home for Christmas. That’s the reward, really, more than anything else, than playing in a bowl game. And it’s just different. It’s not the bowl game’s fault. I get it. We’re in a pandemic, and there’s restrictions and things like that. We’ve got to think about the student-athletes in this situation, and not having a chance to share this with their families after being away and sacrificing so much, you can see why they wouldn’t want to play.”

The Tournament of Roses has requested a waiver from the Los Angeles County health department but has not heard back. AT&T Stadium in Dallas has been mentioned as a possible alternative semifinal site.

Swinney said there are other venues that would love to host the semifinal that would allow parents and fans inside the stadium.

"There are plenty of venues. If it doesn't work out (to have fans at Rose Bowl), punt and push it to next year,” Swinney said. “You try to have fairness for the four playoff teams. There are plenty of venues where you can have fans and an atmosphere for players that have worked so hard all year. I think it would be really sad to be in a playoff game and not have parents. I think that would be a poor decision in a year when everyone has had to have flexibility along the way."

Kelly admonished to College Football Playoff Committee to wake up and put the needs of the student-athletes first.

“My kids have been on campus since June,” Kelly said. “They haven’t seen their families very much at all. They’ve had to fight through COVID, some of them have had COVID. They can’t be around their families for Christmas, and you’re going to tell me we’re going to have a playoff and maybe one site can have families and the other can’t? Please."

“Whatever I say really has no merit on what those people are going to do in their room, and I respect the question. I really do. But whatever I say is going to be a sound bite that’s going to come out 18 different ways. Here’s the only thing I’m going to say,” said Kelly. “They’ve got to figure out how to make sure that whatever sites they play at, that the parents are going to be watching their sons play. That’s what they’ve got to figure out. So, maybe they need to spend a little less time on whom the top four teams are and figure out how to get parents into these games, because it is an absolute shame and a sham if parents can’t be watching their kids play. My kids have been on campus here since June. They haven’t seen their families very much at all. They’ve had to fight through COVID, some of them have had COVID. They can’t be around their families for Christmas.

“I’m going to have them here for Christmas. I’m going to bring in families that aren’t theirs during Christmas. And you’re going to tell me we’re going to have a playoff, and maybe one site can have families and the other can’t. Please. Somebody’s got to wake up in that room and figure this out, or you might as well just call this the ‘Professional League,’ because nothing speaks to this is just about having a playoff and we don’t care about the student-athletes. So, I know I went off on a tangent, but I am so sick and tired of this playoff committee talking about having sites where you can’t have parents at and their families. It’s ridiculous.”

Swinney said the Rose Bowl has long been a bucket list item, but he doesn’t understand playing the game in an empty stadium.

"Regardless of who is in it, it makes no sense to fly kids across the country to play in a stadium with no fans,” Swinney said. “When you have plenty of other places that would allow fans -- and most importantly family. (Parents) get a $2,500 stipend to travel. I've dreamed of going to the Rose Bowl, always have. It's the only bowl I haven't been in. But who knows? Hopefully we're in it. We have to go win this game."