Dec. 22 (UPI) — The College Football Playoff is willing to delay bowl games — including semifinal and championship contests — if teams are unable to play due to issues caused by COVID-19, executive director Bill Hancock confirmed to UPI on Tuesday.
Hancock first told ESPN on Monday night of the College Football Playoff committee’s willingness to delay the games due to the pandemic, which already has caused 16 bowl game cancellations and nearly two dozen teams opting out of the postseason.
“We are planning to play the games when they’re scheduled,” Hancock told ESPN. “We’ve said all along that we will be ready for any circumstance, and we will.
“But if one or both teams are not available and have to postpone a bowl game or the championship game, we will do it.”
The Dec. 30 Cotton Bowl, Jan. 1 Peach Bowl, Jan. 2 Fiesta Bowl, in addition to two Jan. 1 semifinal games and the Jan. 11 title game, are among games that could be impacted by postponements.
The committees’ potential postponements only include the national semifinals, championship and the majority of the New Year’s Six bowl games. Hancock did not yet include the Jan. 2 Orange Bowl among the group of New Year’s Six bowl games that could be postponed.
The first College Football Playoff Semifinal matchup features No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Notre Dame in the Rose Bowl Game at 4 p.m. EST Jan. 1 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
That game initially had been scheduled to be held on the same day at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif., but it was moved Saturday to Texas so that families and guests will be allowed to attend.
The other College Football Playoff Semifinal matchup features No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl at 8 p.m. EST on Jan. 1 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
The 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship game is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST Jan. 11 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.