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Matt Leinart sends heartfelt message on Los Angeles wildfires

Wade-Peeryby: Wade Peery01/08/25
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Brian Rothmuller | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images.

Multiple massive wildfires have engulfed the area surrounding Los Angeles and the new evacuation warning in Pasadena now includes the Rose Bowl. USC quarterback Matt Leinart took to Twitter on Wednesday to share a heartfelt message about the tragic situation.

“We know so many people affected by the fire. It truly is so heartbreaking. Complete devastation. Thinking of you all,” Leinart tweeted.

More on the devastating wildfires in the area

The wildfires have already destroyed more than 1,000 structures and claimed at least two lives, according to the Associated Press. As they continue to press on, they’re taking over more and more territory. You can view a map of the current warning and evacuation zones below.

The Associated Press reported the following on the fires, which are now creeping in on the Rose Bowl, one of college football’s most iconic venues:

“At least four separate blazes were burning in the metropolitan area, from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena, home of the famed Rose Parade,” the AP wrote. “With thousands of firefighters already attacking the flames, the Los Angeles Fire Department put out a plea for off-duty firefighters to help, and weather conditions were too windy for firefighting aircraft to fly, further hampering the fight. Fire officials hoped to get the flights up later Wednesday.”

Rose Bowl as permanent national championship site

Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt called for the Rose Bowl to become college football’s national championship every season.

Back in the BCS era, this was pretty much a reality. Now, the Rose Bowl is a College Football Playoff quarterfinal or semifinal. Even in the four-team playoff, it was a semifinal or a stand alone bowl game between two non-playoff teams.

So why not have the playoff lead up to the Rose Bowl? The Grandaddy of Them All?

“I would also move the season up towards ending on January 1. Why would I do that? Because there’s one game in college football that stands above all of them, and it’s not the national championship game, in particular, on some dumb Monday night in a dome. I’m talking about the Rose Bowl game,” Klatt said on his podcast. 

On3’s Thomas Goldkamp also contributed to this article.