Baylor season opener against Houston postponed by COVID-19 concerns
One of t he marquee matchups, scheduled less than a week ago, for Week 3 has been postponed.
No .24 Baylor and Houston were set for a Saturday afternoon tilt in Waco until the Bears announced Friday they did not reach the Big 12's COVID-19 game cancellation thresholds. It's the third time Houston has seen its opener disappear, and the third instance for Baylor.
The two programs saw their original matchups for last weekend called off; Baylor' s against Louisiana Tech had to be canned due to Hurricane Laura, and Houston's due to a coronavirus outbreak at Memphis. The sides quickly came together to schedule a new opener. The Cougars earlier had a game against canceled by COVID-19-related as well.
“The loss of this game is a devastating blow, but in the interest of the health and safety of our student-athletes, we believe we made the necessary decision,” Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades said in a statement. “We are incredibly disappointed with the continued delay to the start of our season, and empathize with our student-athletes, fans, coaches, and administrative staff.”
The thresholds, announced earlier this month, specify that that the minimum number of players required to for a game is 53, with additional minimums of available offensive linemen (seven), interior defensive lineman (four) and quarterback (one).
The postponement is the third game in the last two days to be called off due to coronavirus positive tests or contact tracing. Charlotte and No. 11 North Carolina could not play after the 49ers lost their offensive line due to contact tracing, and Florida Atlantic's game against Georgia Southern was postponed earlier Friday.
Rhoades said the two programs will keep their home-and-home agreement in place at future dates. At this point, Baylor and Houston playing in 2020 appears unlikely. The Bears currently have open dates on Oct. 10 and Nov. 21, while the Cougars are free on Oct. 3.
JACKSON STATE:
Former NFL star Deion Sanders is expected to be named the next football coach at Jackson State, a person familiar with the situation told the Clarion Ledger on Friday. The person spoke on a condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been finalized. Sanders, 53, played in the NFL for 14 seasons and in the MLB for nine seasons. Nicknamed “Prime Time,” Sanders was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011. Jackson State isn't playing football in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and has announced a spring schedule. The first game is Feb. 27 at home against Mississippi Valley State. OHIO STATE: Star cornerback Shaun Wade announced he would opt back in for the 2020 season, which had been reinstated the previous day with a start date scheduled for late October. POSTPONEMENT: Florida Atlantic's opener against Georgia Southern on Saturday was postponed on Friday, following the results of FAU's COVID-19 testing Thursday. In both cases, the schools involved said they would try to find make-up dates.