Clemson at FSU postponed

The game between No. 4 Clemson and Florida State was postponed hours before kickoff Saturday when medical personnel from both schools could not agree it was safe to play.

Florida State officials were informed late Friday night that Clemson had an offensive lineman return a positive test earlier in the day. The person said Clemson officials told Florida State that the Tigers player had taken part in practice and meetings throughout the week while showing symptoms.

“We listened to our medical folks and their assessment of the risk and we decided it wasn’t safe to play today,” Florida State athletic director David Coburn said.

No makeup date was announced.

On Friday, Clemson said in its weekly report on virus testing that 18 members of the athletic department tested positive this week, including 13 athletes. The school does not detail which athletes or sports are involved.

“They, Florida State and their medical group, decided that this was, given where they are, a risk to continue to play the game, because this person may have infected others. That it could infect them during the game,” Clemson athletic director Radakovich said in Tallahassee. “Although we have not seen in any competition up to this point any infections being able to be pointed to competition.”

Clemson offered alternatives to play the game later this weekend, according to Radakovich. But FSU declined the offer.

“After going back and forth a little bit and saying, ‘Look, we’ll get tested today and play tonight. We’ll get tested today and play tomorrow.’ That wasn’t satisfactory,” he said.

Both teams have an open date on Dec. 12.

Radakovich didn’t sound optimistic about Clemson making a return trip to Tallahassee to get the game in.

“Somebody would have to pay the cab fare,” Radakovich said.

There have been 18 postponements this week out of 62 scheduled games. It is the 81st since schedules were set in late August and believed to be the first postponed on the day of the game.