The Arizona State Sun Devils at Colorado Buffaloes football game has been canceled due to COVID-19, the Pac-12 announced on Sunday.
The two schools were scheduled to meet at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo., on Saturday, Nov. 21. The game was canceled due to “…Arizona State not having the minimum number of scholarship players available for the game as a result of a number of positive football student-athlete COVID-19 cases and resulting isolation of additional football student-athletes under contact tracing protocols.”
The game will not be rescheduled and will be considered a no contest. Below are statements from each school:
Arizona State Vice President for Athletics Ray Anderson
“We have had to invoke the Pac-12’s football game cancellation policy for this week’s game. The cancellation of a game is very difficult to accept for all of us, but it is the right decision under the circumstances. In every case we continue to consider the health, safety and welfare of our student-athletes as our number one priority.
“I feel for our student-athletes and everyone associated with Sun Devil Athletics, as well as Sun Devil Nation. This also has an impact on the University of California football program and we extend our appreciation for their understanding of the situation.
“In the past few days our test results included a number of positive cases, including multiple student-athletes and coaching staff members, one of which is Head Coach Herm Edwards. This put our team below the Pac-12’s minimum threshold of 53 available scholarship student-athletes under the league’s game cancellation policy. After consultation with our medical advisors and Coach Edwards, we immediately began a conversation with the Pac-12 office and California Athletics Director Jim Knowlton to make them aware of the situation.
“We are continuing to take every precaution to safeguard the health and welfare of our student-athletes and staff, in accordance with the Pac-12 COVID-19 Medical Advisory Committee’s procedures. Those with positive test results and those in contact tracing protocols are in isolation and receiving the appropriate medical care.
“We will continue to monitor our testing results and stay in close communication with our University, local public health officials and the Pac-12 Conference.”
Arizona State Head Coach Herm Edwards
“First, I want to say that Lia, the girls and I are fine and I will be back quicker than you can say ‘Forks Up!’ Second, even with the marvelous care our medical professionals have provided for myself, my staff and my team over the past few months the virus still found me. So, I encourage all of you to take this virus seriously, to wear a mask, practice physical distancing and get tested whenever possible.
“As I’ve stated many times over, the health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes is absolutely paramount and we will not put them at risk. Our team has worked extremely hard to get to this point, and even played a game last weekend. We will continue to care for our students-athletes and follow all protocols very thoroughly as we prepare for our next game. Our team and coaching staff are disappointed, but we do understand what we are dealing with.”
Colorado athletic director Rick George
“We will look at any and all options about us being able to play this weekend. It’s too early right now to gauge everything, the conference did pair UCLA and Cal today on very short notice, so we’ll have to see what transpires day-to-day around the league.”
Colorado Head Coach Karl Dorrell
“We’ve been real fortunate about keeping our players healthy through camp and so far during the first couple of weeks. We have known all along that this has been a real possibility and it’s something that is out of our control. It’s literally a week-by-week deal and we’ll continue to move forward.”
Football Schedules
