The Ohio State Buckeyes at Illinois Fighting Illini football game has been canceled due to COVID-19, it was announced on Friday.
The two schools were scheduled to meet at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill., on Saturday, Nov. 28. The game was “…cancelled by Ohio State University after further positive tests for the coronavirus were discovered after a round of PCR testing this afternoon.”
The decision follows the positive COVID-19 test result for Ohio State head coach Ryan Day earlier on Friday.
“We have continued to experience an increase in positive tests over the course of this week,” Ohio State Director of Athletics Gene Smith said. “The health, safety and well-being of our student-athlete is our main concern, and our decisions on their welfare will continue to be guided by our medical staff.”
Ohio State’s next scheduled contest is on Saturday, Dec. 5 on the road against the Michigan State Spartans. The game is slated for 12:00pm ET on ABC.
“We are certainly disappointed that tomorrow’s game against Ohio State was cancelled,” said Illinois head coach Lovie Smith. “In these uncertain times, and having seen similar situations around the nation, we have always been aware that this could occur to us as well. All of us in collegiate athletics place the health and safety of our student-athletes at the highest level. We hope the Ohio State players and staff who have contracted the COVID virus recover quickly so they can continue their season.”
Illinois is scheduled to return to the gridiron on Saturday, Dec 5 at home against the 24th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes. The kickoff time and television coverage are set to be announced by Sunday, Nov. 29.
Football Schedules