Stanford, Cal already forced to adjust
Cardinal opener canceled, Bears to face different foe
The college basketball season still hasn’t officially started and already the Cal and Stanford men’s teams are having to make schedule adjustments on the fly because of the coronavirus.
Tuesday, just minutes after Cal announced that it would host Oregon State instead of Colorado State in its season opener, Stanford announced that its nonconference game today against Utah Valley had been canceled because of a positive COVID-19 test, and subsequent contact tracing, within the Wolverines program.
A Stanford news release said the game with Utah Valley will be declared a no contest and that
both programs “are exploring alternative options to replace the game.”
Cal was originally scheduled to play Colorado State in Corvallis today, but that game was canceled due to two positive coronavirus tests within the Rams program. The Bears will now play the Beavers today at 4 p.m. at Gill Coliseum in what will be considered a nonconference game.
Cal is still scheduled, at the moment, to play Northwest University, an NAIA school in Kirkland, Washington, on Thursday in Corvallis.
“In a year when disruption is likely the norm, we had to adjust with our own COVID-19 shutdown earlier this month, and now with Colorado State’s situation,”
Cal coach Mark Fox said in a statement. “It was not possible to replace Colorado State on such short notice and playing Oregon State proved to be the best solution because it’s most important that we play when we can safely do so.”
Last Friday, Colorado State paused all team activities through Dec. 2 due to two positive COVID-19 tests. Colorado State said the two positive tests were the first within the program since players reported back to the team in June.
Cal is still scheduled to play Nicholls State on Nov. 30 in its home opener. The Bears then start Pac-12 play against Arizona State at home on Dec. 3. Stanford opens conference play Dec. 13 at USC.
This is coach Fox’s second season in Berkeley. The Bears finished 14-18 last season, a six-win improvement over the year before. Cal was
1-3 in neutral site games last season.
There have been a plethora of games canceled in men’s and women’s college basketball in the last few days due to coronavirus outbreaks.
Just on Monday, the UConn women’s basketball program announced it was shutting down the start of its season, and Tennessee men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes and other personnel tested positive for COVID-19.
The second-ranked Baylor men’s basketball team was scheduled to play No. 18 Arizona State today at the Empire Classic. but pulled out after coach Scott Drew tested positive for the coronavirus. Duke and Arizona also announced Monday that their respective season openers were canceled.
The entire Ivy League announced earlier this month that it was cancelling winter sports.