Thursday, January 1, 2026

Rain Prompts Tarp Over Rose Bowl Field as Pasadena Braces for Wet Quarterfinal

With steady rain settling over Pasadena ahead of Thursday’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal, the Rose Bowl field was covered by a tarp Wednesday as stadium crews worked to protect the turf from worsening weather, according to AL.com..

An ESPN camera shot showed the tarp stretched across the historic field. The wet conditions continued throughout the day across the Pasadena area.

Alabama and Indiana, scheduled to meet Thursday in the Rose Bowl, adjusted their preparations as rain intensified. The Crimson Tide held their Wednesday walkthrough indoors at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, AL.com reported.

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer acknowledged earlier Wednesday that weather could influence the matchup.

“I think you just gotta see what it is in the moment,” DeBoer said during a joint press conference with Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, according to AL.com. . “I know it could be heavy at times, I don’t know, it could be light. You just have to adjust. We haven’t played a lot in those elements this season.”

DeBoer said the team has practiced with wet footballs to prepare for potential rain but emphasized that adaptability would be key. “In the end, we’ve just got to adapt,” he said.

The National Weather Service forecast for Pasadena called for “rain and possibly a thunderstorm” early Thursday, with the potential for nearly an inch of precipitation and periods of heavy rainfall.

The tarp remained in place Wednesday as Pasadena prepared for what could be one of the wetter Rose Bowl game days in recent years.