The Pac-12 football season opener scheduled for Saturday between California and Washington was canceled following a positive coronavirus test for one of California’s players.
The cancellation was a big blow for the Pac-12 as the conference prepares to kick off a seven-game football slate after league programs had watched other teams around the country playing for weeks.
California doesn’t have the minimum number of scholarship players available for the game as a result of the positive test and the need for other players to isolate under contact tracing protocols, the Pac-12 said in a statement Thursday. Pac-12 guidelines require at least 53 scholarship players to be available for a game to be played. The conference said the game would be declared a no-contest.
• Saturday’s football game between Tulsa and host Navy has been postponed following a rash of positive COVID-19 tests at the Naval Academy.
Many Navy athletes are under quarantine, and the Midshipmen have temporarily halted all football activities.
“Protocols and guidelines are very comprehensive both at the Naval Academy and within the American Athletic Conference,” Navy Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk said. “An administrative decision has been made that clearly reflects the safety and welfare of all involved with both institutions.”
A makeup date has not been announced. Navy and Tulsa do not share a common open date through the rest of the season.
• The service academy game between Air Force and Army scheduled for Saturday at West Point, New York, was postponed because of an increase in COVID-19 cases at the Air Force Academy and the surrounding community.
The schools are working to reschedule the game.
BASKETBALL
BENTLEY: Former Lake Region High star Tiana-Jo Carter has been named a graduate assistant coach for the women’s basketball team.
Carter, who graduated from the University of Albany in 2018, was an assistant last season at Central Maine Community College. She’s pursuing an MBA at Bentley with a concentration in data analytics.
UCONN: The school has suspended all men’s basketball activities after a player tested positive for the coronavirus.
“Per university protocol, team activities will remain on hold until contact tracing is completed and it is deemed safe by medical professionals to resume,” the school said in a statement.
The Huskies are scheduled to open the season Dec. 2 in the Legends Classic at the Mohegan Sun arena, which is about 30 miles south of campus in Uncasville. Vanderbilt, USC and Brigham Young are scheduled to be the other participants.
MARQUETTE: The university will not allow fans at any men’s and women’s basketball home games through at least the rest of 2020 because of safety concerns regarding the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Athletic Director Bill Scholl said the school would continue to evaluate the situation as the season progresses. If the school decides to admit fans in early 2021, tickets would be sold on a single-game basis.
School officials will contact season ticket-holders to provide information on donation or refund options.
TRACK/CROSS COUNTRY
CLEMSON: The university is ending its men’s track and field and cross country programs after this academic year.
Men’s track and field has been part of the Tigers’ athletic department since 1953 and has won 23 Atlantic Coast Conference championships.
Athletic Director Dan Radakovich said the move came after months of studying the situation.
“We concluded that discontinuing our men’s track and field program is in the best long-term interest of Clemson athletics,” Radakovich said in a release.
The move affects 26 scholarship athletes and 25 walk-ons. The school said all scholarship grants will be honored as long as those students remain on campus. All affected coaches’ contracts will be honored.
Women’s track and field and cross country remain part of the school’s 16 athletic teams.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
