COVID-19 rules for College Football Playoffs (including Orange Bowl) include possible forfeits
The College Football Playoff’s Orange Bowl semifinal matchup between the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines and the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs is still set to take place on Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium.
But if either team has a COVID-19 outbreak that forces it to be unable to compete, that team will have to forfeit and its opponent will receive a free pass to the national championship game.
Conversely, the Orange Bowl could become the de facto national championship game if both teams from the other semifinal — the Alabama Crimson Tide and Cincinnati Bearcats — can’t compete.
That’s how things are set to work under the College Football Playoff’s updated COVID-19 protocols, announced Wednesday.
“As we prepare for the Playoff, it’s wise and necessary to put into place additional precautions to protect those who will play and coach the games,” CFP executive director Bill Hancock said in a press release statement. “These policies will better protect our students and staffs while providing clarity in the event worst-case scenarios result.”
These new rules are in effect for both semifinals, with No. 1 Alabama facing No 4 Cincinnati at 3:30 p.m. in the Cotton Bowl.
The College Football Playoff’s forfeit rule comes in three tiers:
▪ If one team in one semifinal is unable to play due to COVID-19, its opponent will automatically advance to the national championship to face the winner of the other semifinal. The same rule applies if each semifinal has one team unfit to play — the team that would have been able to play from each semifinal would automatically advance.
▪ If both teams from the same semifinal are unable to compete (i.e. both Georgia and Michigan or both Alabama and Cincinnati have COVID-19 outbreaks), then the winner of the semifinal game that was able to be played will be deemed this year’s national champion.
▪ If three teams are unable to play due to COVID-19, the lone remaining team will by default be declared national champions.
The College Football Playoff will not move the semifinal dates, meaning either the games will be played on Dec. 31 or they won’t.
The national championship game, if played, is still set for Jan. 10 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis but can be pushed back to as late as Jan. 14. The same forfeit rules from the semifinal apply here, too. If a team can’t play due to an internal COVID-19 outbreak, its opponent will be declared the national champion. If both teams that advance to the national championship game are unable to compete, “the CFP National Championship shall be vacated for this season,” according to the release.
“We certainly wish we were not in this position,” Hancock said, “but the only responsible thing is to take whatever actions we can reasonably take to better protect those who play and coach the game.”
This story was originally published December 22, 2021 at 2:45 PM.
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