For the third consecutive week, an Arizona State football game has been canceled. This time, it’s the Sun Devils matchup with Utah, as more games and dominoes continue to fall in a Pac-12 football season that is continuing to limp along.
After a COVID-19 outbreak that included coach Herm Edwards testing positive a few weeks ago, the football program and athletic program deemed it wasn’t ready for the matchup with the Utes this Sunday, Nov. 29. ASU still doesn’t have enough players cleared to play, and now it appears the program will have at least half of its games wiped out in 2020 due to the outbreak.
“We have had to invoke the Pac-12’s football game cancellation policy for this week’s game versus Utah due to not having the minimum number of scholarship players available on account of return-to-play protocols involving CDC-prescribed quarantines by virtue of contact tracing and cardiac testing evaluation results,” said Vice President Ray Anderson in a statement from Sun Devil Athletics. “The timing of the previously reported positive results coupled with the return-to-play guidelines have stretched over parts of three weeks, which makes it unsafe for several of our players to compete this Sunday.
“I sympathize 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 Utah football program and we extend our appreciation for their understanding 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. The student-athletes are receiving the appropriate medical care.”
Other ASU games that have resulted in COVID-19 cancellations this season have included Colorado and Cal. If the team is finally cleared by next Saturday, the Sun Devils would play UCLA on Dec. 5.
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