Arizona's season opener against Utah has been canceled. The Wildcats were set to open the delayed 2020 season against the Utes this Saturday afternoon in Salt Lake City. Instead, UA will remain in Tucson and wait for their game against USC next Saturday after the Utes did not have enough players to meet the requirements set by the Pac-12 to play games this season.
“The Pac-12 has approved a request from Utah to cancel the Arizona at Utah football game scheduled for November 7," the league said in a statement Friday afternoon. "This decision was made under the Pac-12’s football game cancellation policy due to Utah 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.
"Under Conference policy, the game will be declared a no contest. The cancellation of this game, following yesterday’s cancellation of the Washington at Cal football game, is of course incredibly disappointing to our student-athletes and our fans. At the same time it is an indication that our health and safety protocols are working in identifying positive cases and contact tracing cases. While all of us want to see our football student-athletes on the field competing, our number one priority must continue to be the health and safety of all those connected to Pac-12 football programs.”
The Wildcats were set to leave Tucson later in the day Friday after several weeks of preparation for the opener. UA head coach Kevin Sumlin contracted the coronavirus earlier in camp, but the team as a whole has done a good job of limiting the spread of COVID-19 among the program since players returned to campus in the summer.
"Arizona Athletics respects the Pac-12 Conference's approval of Utah's request to cancel our football game inSalt Lake City in accordance with the Pac-12's game cancellation policy," UA athletic director Dave Heeke said in a statement. "Our football program and athletics department have worked incredibly hard in preparation to take the field on Saturday.
"I could not be more disappointed that our players, coaches and staff will be unable to experience game day, which they have prepared months for. With that said, health and safety must continue to be our guiding principles throughout these uncertain times. Our athletics department and football program will continue to move forward with those guiding principles at the forefront as we prepare to host USC next weekend."
Utah released a statement Friday saying the football program learned of "a number of positive COVID-19 cases" within the last 24 hours and that is what forced its decision to request the game be canceled.
"As difficult as this is, there is no question it is the right decision to make," Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said in a statement. "Our student-athletes' health and well-being is absolutely paramount and we will not put them at risk. Our team has worked extremely hard to get to this point, and we will continue to care for our students-athletes and follow all protocols very thoroughly as we prepare for next week's game."
The Pac-12 left very little flexibility for a game to made up later in the year for a team in the position Arizona is in this weekend since there are no bye weeks. Jon Wilner from The Mercury News reported Friday morning that the league is exploring option of using the final week of the season as a way to make up lost games instead of playing cross-division games as anticipated.
UA reportedly also had discussions about traveling to Washington to play the Huskies, which also had their game canceled this week, but at this point that is not expected to happen since the Wildcats received such late notice of the decision among other factors.
The Wildcats are eager to get on the field this season and Sumlin expressed that several times earlier this week before the team found out Friday that it wouldn't be able to do so.
"These guys have watched other players play for like the last four or five weeks," he said. "Don't discount this. Their friends, other guys that are talking to them. They can't wait to play this weekend. Can't wait."
Arizona will now open its season against USC next weekend at Arizona Stadium with kickoff for that game yet to be determined.
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