Virus hits coach, team; game vs. Cal canceled
Most thought Arizona State’s home-opening football game against California on Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium was in jeopardy due to the one coronavirus case on the part of a Cal player. But it is ASU with multiple athletes and coaches coming down with COVID-19 in the last week.
The game between the two slated for 8:30 p.m. on Saturday has been canceled and will not be made up.
ASU (0-1) is scheduled to face Colorado on Nov. 21 but that too could be in jeopardy. An ASU spokesman said all activity in the football program has been shut down until further notice.
The Pac-12 Conference issued a statement saying that ASU couldn’t play the game because it would not have enough scholarship players available because of positive COVID-19 cases.
ASU coach Herm Edwards is among those at ASU who have tested positive.
ASU Athletic Director Ray Anderson issued the following statement:
“We have had to invoke the Pac-12’s football game cancellation policy for this week’s game. The cancellation of a game is very difficult to accept for all of us, but it is the right decision under the circumstances. In every case we continue to consider the health, safety and welfare of out student-athletes as our number one priority.
“I feel 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 California football program and we extend our appreciation for their understanding of the situation.
“In the past few days our test results included a number of positive cases, including multiple student-athletes and coaching staff members, one of which is Head Coach Herm Edwards. This put our team below the Pac-12’s minimum threshold of 53 available scholarship student-athletes under the league’s game cancellation policy. After consultation with our medical advisors and
Coach Edwards, we immediately began a conversation with the Pac-12 office and California Athletics Director Jim Knowlton to make them aware 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. Those with positive test results and those in contact tracing protocols are in isolation and receiving the appropriate medical care.
“We will continue to monitor our testing results and stay in close communication with our University, local public health officials and the Pac-12 Conference.”
Edwards has been among those adhering to guidelines, keeping to social distancing standards and wearing a mask and yet he still contracted the virus. He’s using this as an opportunity to stress how important it is for the public to take mask-wearing seriously.
His weekly radio show “All Aboard” aired Thursday night but the coach’s voice was noticeably strained.
On that show the coach confirmed that the Sun Devils hit the pause button on practice Thursday to do additional testing of its coaches and players.
In the same statement, Edwards said: “First, I want to say that Lia, the girls and I are fine and I will be back quicker than you can say ‘Forks Up!’ Second, even with the marvelous care our medical professionals have provided for myself, my staff and my team over the past few months the virus still found me. So, I encourage all of you to take this virus seriously, to wear a mask, practice physical distancing and get tested whenever possible.
“As I’ve stated many times over, the health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes is absolutely paramount and we will not put them at risk. Our team has worked extremely hard to get to this point, and even played a game last weekend. We will continue to care for our students-athletes and follow all protocols very thoroughly as we prepare for our next game. Our team and coaching staff are disappointed, but we do understand what we are dealing with.”
ASU opened the season on Saturday at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, losing to USC 28-27.
The ASU spokesman said the first positive cases came on Wednesday, which then resulted in the cancellation of Thursday’s practice. There were more positive tests on Thursday and still more Friday morning.
Cal is missing a second consecutive game and has yet to open its season. Bears players, reportedly on the defensive line, tested positive for COVID last week, which combined with contact tracing quarantines left the team too short-handed in that position group to play against Washington on Nov. 7.
The city of Berkeley requires a 14-day quarantine regardless of the number of subsequent negative tests before quarantine can end. That period will not end until Nov. 17 and the city issued a statement Tuesday to ESPN saying it would not make an exception to clear Cal players testing negative for a game.
A team is required to have at least four scholarship defensive linemen available for a game under Pac-12 COVID cancellation regulations although there is an option to play with fewer than that.
Cal was reportedly set to have enough players out of quarantine to play the game had ASU not come down with cases.
The San Jose Mercury’s News’ Jon Wilner reported that Cal could still play another Pac-12 team if more Pac-12 games were to be canceled.
The Cal-ASU cancellation is among 14 this weekend that won’t be played due to COVID-19. Over the past two weeks, 24 contests have been canceled or postponed.
The Pac-12 has lost four games, with Cal and Utah each being part of two. Utah’s opener last week against Arizona was scrapped. Then hours after the ASU cancellation, the Pac-12 announced the Utes contest against UCLA was also a no-go.
Then two hours later came an announcement that Cal would now be going to UCLA for a 10 a.m. game on Sunday.
Edwards is the third coach from the Pac-12 to contract the virus, the first being UCLA’s Chip Kelly who had it back in April. Arizona’s Kevin Sumlin was away from his team, last month after getting it.