No. 9 Wisconsin cancels game with Nebraska due to COVID outbreak
The pandemic hit Big Ten football just two weeks into its season Wednesday as No. 9 Wisconsin canceled its game at Nebraska and paused team activities for at least a week after a dozen people in the program — including coach Paul Chryst — tested positive for COVID-19.
Athletic director Barry Alvarez and Chancellor Rebecca Blank made the decision in consultation with Big Ten officials. Alvarez said the team had only one positive test two days before Friday’s seasonopening 45-7 victory over Illinois and 12 positive tests afterward.
“With the number of positives in that short a timeline, the chancellor and I felt we have an issue, that we have to make this decision and get our arms around this and control the COVID and virus now before it got out of hand,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez said Wisconsin had reached the “orange/ red” levels in the Big Ten protocols based on its rate of positive tests. The Big Ten says teams in that area must proceed with caution; among the steps is considering the viability of playing.
Chryst said he underwent a polymerase chain reaction test Tuesday and learned Wednesday morning he was positive.
“Physically I feel good,” Chryst said. “Certainly disappointed for what’s happened. Throughout this whole really kind of as we’ve gone about this, we were wanting the opportunity, and our players were wanting the opportunity to play. To not have that opportunity, and I know why and I support and understand why we’re not [playing], but when you have a hand in it… that’s where there’s disappointment.”
School officials said six players and six staff members had tested positive over the last five days. Additional test results were pending.
Wisconsin becomes the first Big Ten school to cancel a game since the league started its pandemic-delayed season five days ago. It was the 37th game involving Football Bowl Subdivision teams to be postponed or canceled since Aug. 6.
ETC.
Soccer: Barcelona
● played some of its best soccer in a while to win 2-0 at Juventus in a Champions League match that offered plenty of entertainment even though the absence of
Cristiano Ronaldo prevented a highly anticipated duel against Lionel Messi. Ronaldo was out for the game, more than two weeks after the Juventus forward initially tested positive for the coronavirus. Alvaro Morata, who scored twice against Dynamo last week, again replaced Ronaldo but frustratingly had three goals ruled out for offside. Messi converted a late penalty for Barcelona after
Ousmane Dembele had given the visitors the lead in the 14th minute to send Barcelona on its way to its first victory over Juventus in Turin. …
New signing Moise Kean scored twice as Paris SaintGermain beat Istanbul Basaksehir 2-0 in the Champions League but Neymar limped off with a groin injury. Neymar left the field after 26 minutes and was replaced by winger Pablo Sarabia. I hope it’s not a serious injury and we'll wait to see the results of his scan tomorrow. It’s his adductor,” PSG coach Thomas Tuchel said. “He had to come off. He wasn’t in real pain but he felt uncomfortable. In a packed schedule, he could be out for a few games. But I’m not sure.”…
Veteran goalkeeper Pepe Reina produced a couple of decisive saves to help Lazio to a 1-1 draw at Brugge in their Champions League match. … Luukde Jong scored the only goal for a dominant Sevilla as the Spanish club defeated Rennes 1-0 for its first win in Group E of the Champions League. In the other group match, Chelsea won 4-0 at Krasnodar.
Tennis: Novak Djo
●
kovic saved four set points in a 7-6 (11-9), 6-3 win over
Borna Coric on to reach the Erste Bank Open quarterfinals in Vienna and move one step closer to sealing the year-end No. 1 ranking. Djokovic can lock up the top position by winning the title on Sunday. Otherwise Rafael Nadal could still mathematically overtake him, although the Spaniard would need to enter a tournament in Bulgaria next month in order to do so. Djokovic will play either Hubert Hurkacz or
Lorenzo Sonego in Friday’s quarterfinal.
Kevin Anderson, who won the event in 2018, also
advanced to the quarterfinals with a 7-5, 6-1 win over
Pablo Carreno Busta.
●NB●: The Philadelphia 76ers are in advanced negotiations with former Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey to become president of basketball operations as part of their front-office overhaul that began after an underachieving season, multiple people with direct knowledge of the negotiations said. The deal is expected to be finalized as early as this weekend, according to the people who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because it has not been made official. Elton Brand will remain general manager, they said. …
Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Stephen Silas will be the Houston Rocket’s next head coach, a source confirmed. Silas, who’s coached in Dallas since 2018, will replace
Mike D’Antoni after D’Antoni decided not to return to Houston when his contract expired at the end of the season.