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Rose Bowl the latest event moved to North Texas due to stricter COVID-19 restrictions in other states
The Rose Bowl was just the latest of several big sporting events moved to Arlington during the COVID-19 pandemic, as Texas allows fans to be where local health departments and teams feel it is safe.
ARLINGTON, Texas - The Rose Bowl was just the latest of several big sporting events moved to Arlington during the COVID-19 pandemic, as Texas allows fans to be where local health departments and teams feel it is safe.
The lockdown restrictions in California would have prevented players' families from attending the Rose Bowl, and Notre Dame's head coach said his team wouldn't play if parents couldn't attend.
Friday was the first time the Rose Bowl was played outside of California since 1942.
It continued a growing trend of Texas hosting more sporting events with fans than any other state during the pandemic.
Huey Johnson is a Notre Dame fan from East Texas.
He was tailgating outside AT&T Stadium on New Year’s Day because only 18,000 fans were allowed inside, and he said he couldn't find a ticket.
"I’d be willing to watch it any way I can. I’m out here right now because I didn’t think I could be in there but if I was able to go in there, I’d be there right now," he said.
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Arlington has hosted all sorts of events during the pandemic.
The Cowboys lead the league in attendance, and it’s really not close, as they have averaged more than 27,000 fans a game.
The team behind them, the Jacksonville Jaguars, has averaged less than 16,000 fans.
Arlington also hosted the World Series, when the Tampa Bay Rays lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Globe Life Field.
Major League Baseball allowed nearly 12,000 fans each game in October.
Then, in December, Globe Life Field hosted the 10-day National Finals Rodeo.
Roughly 17,000 fans, including OU fan Jason Bourne — who brought his tailgating bus — made it to AT&T Stadium for the Cotton Bowl Classic on Wednesday.
"I was trying to think of a name and I was like, ‘Man, what can I name the bus?’ I said, ‘The Beast!’ So I said, ‘I’ll call it the OU Beast.’ So I named it The Beast," Bourne said.
The question remains: is it safe to host fans at sporting events?
The Arlington Fire Department and Arlington’s Public Health Authority said they have a public health and safety operational plan for visitors.
Fans are required to wear masks while inside stadium, and some social distancing measures are in place.
Alabama fan Daphne Brown was excited to have the game close to home.
"Yes, so I have a son that goes to University of Alabama, so it’s near and dear to our hearts," she said.
Tarrant County has eclipsed 150,000 total COVID-19 cases, and health officials are warning against large and even small gatherings.
Meanwhile, some are growing tired of restrictions.