The officiating crew at the Rose Bowl got off to a rough start on Monday when the game’s referee made quite the gaffe when trying to introduce United States senator Mark Kelly.
Kelly was on the field alongside former U.S. House of Representatives member and 2023 Tournament of Roses grand marshal Gabrielle Giffords, who is also his wife, during the coin toss ahead of the matchup between No. 11 Penn State and No. 8 Utah. Referee Michael Vandervelde had the responsibility of introducing both of them to the crowd and fans watching from home.
Though Vandervelde got off to a strong start when speaking of Giffords, he stumbled when he got to the current junior senator from Arizona, calling him Mark Lewis instead of Mark Kelly.
Given that the Rose Bowl is one of the most-watched games of the college football season, fans and media members watching the game were quick to pick up on Vandervelde’s mistake.
It certainly wasn’t the smoothest of starts to “The Granddaddy of Them All,” especially for Vandervelde and the officiating crew. The referee will look to make up for the now-viral moment on the field on Monday as Utah (10–3) and Penn State (10–2) square off in the latest edition of the Rose Bowl.
