The UCLA Bruins are unable to play in tonight’s San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl due to COVID-19 protocols, the school announced just hours before kickoff on Tuesday.
UCLA was slated to face the North Carolina State Wolfpack on Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021 at Petco Park in San Diego, Calif.
“We are extremely grateful to the Holiday Bowl, students, fans, sponsors and the people of San Diego for their support this week,” UCLA Director of Athletics Martin Jarmond said. “We are deeply disappointed for our young men in the football program that worked extremely hard for this opportunity. My heart goes out to them. The health and safety of our students will always be our North Star.”
SOURCES: Tonight’s Holiday Bowl between UCLA & NC State is getting canceled. The Bruins D-Line room has been decimated by Covid issues.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) December 28, 2021
Heartbroken to not be able to compete one more time this season. We were informed a short time ago that our opponent would be unable to play this evening.
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) December 28, 2021
The Holiday Bowl is the seventh bowl game affected by COVID-19 this season. The Arizona Bowl, Military Bowl, Fenway Bowl, and EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl were all canceled.
Miami dropped out of the Sun Bowl and Boise State dropped out of the Arizona Bowl, leaving the Arizona Bowl canceled. As a result, Miami and Boise State’s opponents, Washington State and Central Michigan, will now meet in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.
Additionally, Texas A&M dropped out of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl slated for New Year’s Eve and was replaced by Rutgers.
Pussies
Day of, cancelled. Just wierd.
It’s not weird, they just didn’t want to lose.
They packed their locker room up at 10AM but did not say anything to the Bowl or NC State until about 2:30 PM.
It’s what low class people do.
I am sure, if asked, Bill Walton will have 25 excuses why this was legit. “Conference of Champions”
It’s a west coast thing not to honor your commitments. All bowl games should be moved out of California because you never know what they will do at anytime. Texas A&M is the only one that handled this even close to correct even they should have played with Walk ons who would have given anything for a chance to play in the Gator Bowl no matter the outcome or score.