The season-opening football game between Utah and Arizona, scheduled for Saturday, has been canceled after multiple Utes players tested positive for COVID-19, leaving them without enough available scholarship players due to isolation and quarantine protocols for contact tracing.
It is the second cancellation ahead of the Pac-12’s already-delated opening weekend in as many days, following Thursday’s announcement that Cal could not host Washington as several players, including an entire position group, were quarantined for contact tracing.
“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,” the Pac-12 said in a statement. “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 the Pac-12 football programs.”
Utah did not release the total number of players that tested positive or were unavailable due to contact tracing.
“The health and safety of our student-athletes and all associated with our program is our highest priority and we will continue to follow all applicable Pac-12 and local health policies and guidelines,” the school said in a statement.