Tigers-utsa football game canceled over COVID-19 positive test results
Memphis will have to wait at least another week to play its second football game. The Tigers announced Saturday that its game against UTSA on Friday has been canceled due to positive COVID-19 tests at Memphis and players being quarantined. The game will not be rescheduled.
Memphis paused football activities on Sept. 11 due to positive tests within the program and practiced on Saturday for the first time since Sept. 8.
"While we project our quarantine and isolation numbers to improve next week, we felt it was in the best interest of the health and safety of our studentathletes to make this decision now," Memphis athletic director Laird Veatch said in a statement. "This also allows UTSA the most flexibility to find a replacement opponent."
UTSA did just that by announcing
Saturday that it will host Middle Tennessee State on Friday.
Memphis also announced it added Stephen F. Austin for a home game on Nov. 21 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Stephen F. Austin (0-2) lost 24-10 on UTSA on Saturday.
It'll be the second all-time meeting between the schools and fills an open date on the Tigers schedule.
Prior to the schedule announcement, Tigers coach Ryan Silverfield said Saturday the UTSA game was a concern because he wanted to be sure players were healthy and conditioned after not practicing for 11 days. Some had been out longer due to quarantining from contact tracing or positive tests.
Now with another week off, the Tigers have time to get healthy before their next scheduled game at SMU on Oct. 3. This is the third non-conference game the Tigers have had canceled on their schedule with Purdue and Utmartin. The Tigers' Sept. 18 game against Houston was postponed.