Yet another game from the Pac-12’s opening week has been canceled, as Arizona and Utah will not play on Saturday due to positive COVID-19 cases.
The Pac-12 announced in a statement on Friday that it has approved Utah’s request to cancel its game against Arizona due to not having the minimum number of scholarship players available this week. The statement said a number of football players tested positive for COVID-19.
It’s unclear exactly how many players tested positive, but we already know that it only takes one based on the protocols the Pac-12 has in place. Saturday’s game between Cal and Washington has also been canceled because of one positive COVID-19 case and quarantine rules involving those who are part of contact tracing.
The Pac-12 is the only one of the Power Five conferences that has yet to kick off its 2020 football season. Cal coach Justin Wilcox unloaded on conference officials this week, noting that players who tested negative for COVID-19 and followed all the appropriate measures were still ruled ineligible to play. The San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers played a game in the Bay Area on Thursday night despite having multiple players on the COVID list.
Like the Big Ten’s policy requiring players to miss a minimum of 21 days after testing positive for COVID-19, the Pac-12’s protocols seem far too extreme. Their season may be doomed if this trend continues.
