Saturday’s game at Arizona State still very much in doubt

BERKELEY >> The chance for Cal to open its football season at Arizona State this weekend grew slimmer Wednesday with no word from the city of Berkeley Public Health Division about the status of the Bears’ quarantined players.

The school canceled a video news conference with coach Justin Wilcox about an hour before it was scheduled to begin Wednesday night. Instead, it released this statement: “We continue to have conversations with the medical health professionals on campus and with the City of Berkeley. We have no further update on the status of Saturday’s game at Arizona State and will have our next media availability once we have a final determination.”

School officials did not respond to a question about the deadline to determine whether the game could be played in Tempe, Arizona.

The situation highlighted the chaos of the college season during the pandemic. ASU coach Herm Edwards summed it up, saying, “We’re playing against two opponents. The opponent you game plan for and that other opponent you cannot see. And it’s the virus.”

Cal’s predicament is the result of a defensive lineman testing positive for the coronavirus. The test result led to the other members of the defensive line being placed under a 14-day quarantine through a contract tracing protocol. Cal officials had to cancel the season opener last weekend at Memorial Stadium against the Washington because of the situation.

On Tuesday, Wilcox asked for clarity from city public health officials during a news conference with reporters. Hours later, a city spokesman issued a statement saying the school was given a timeline last week for when the quarantine would end.

“The team should use that information as a timeline for return of those individuals to the field,” the city’s release said. “No further direction is pending from the City.”

Despite the city’s declaration, Cal officials had not given up hopes of facing the Sun Devils.

Cal defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon said the team was preparing for when it gets the linemen — and others who are quarantined — back to play their natural positions.

“We have not gone through a wholesale change of moving positions,” Sirmon said. “With numbers being down we’re battling to keep it two deep.”

Berkeley officials said they insisted on the group quarantine to protect the community from an outbreak.

“We know this is a very easily spread disease that has no treatment and no vaccine,” spokesman Matthai Chakko said. “The only way to stop the spread is isolation and quarantine after a case has been identified.”

Chakko said it is not just about the football players.

“It’s all the family and community members who could be exposed by just breathing in the same room for 15 minutes,” he said.