[ad_1]
Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Herm Edwards watches from the sideline during the second half of the NCAAF game against the Arizona Wildcats at Sun Devil Stadium on November 30, 2019 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
A single week-old coronavirus case on the California Golden Bears roster has put their game against the Arizona State Sun Devils in jeopardy as Week 2 of the Pac-12 program approaches.
On Friday, it was Herm Edwards and other players and ASU staff confirming they had caught COVID-19 that led to the game being canceled at Tempe.
“Over the past few days, our test results have included a number of positive cases, including several student-athletes and coaching staff, one of whom is head coach Herm Edwards,” said Vice President of Athletics Ray Anderson in a statement.
“This put our team below the Pac-12 minimum threshold of 53 scholarship student-athletes available under the league’s game cancellation policy. After consulting with our medical advisors and Coach Edwards, we immediately struck up a conversation with the Pac-12 office and California athletic director Jim Knowlton to brief them on the situation.
Cal’s visit to ASU was scheduled for Saturday at 8:30 p.m. PST and would have aired on ESPN2.
Chris Karpman of SunDevilSource.com reported that ASU’s positive coronavirus count was “well over a dozen” and that the Sun Devils feared they would be sidelined beyond this week. ASU is scheduled to play in Colorado on November 21.
“First of all, I want to say (wife) Lia, the girls and I are fine and I’ll be back faster than you can say ‘Forks Up!’,” Edwards said in a statement. “Second, even with the wonderful care that our healthcare professionals have provided to myself, my staff and my team over the past few months, the virus has caught me again. So, I encourage all of you to take this virus seriously, wear a mask, practice physical distancing, and get tested whenever possible.
“As I have said repeatedly, the health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes are absolutely paramount and we will not put them at risk. Our team worked really hard to get to this point and even played a game last weekend. We will continue to take care of our student-athletes and follow all protocols to the letter as we prepare for our next game. Our team and coaches are disappointed, but we understand what we are dealing with.
Jon Wilner of The Mercury News reported that Cal could reroute to play another team this weekend if other Pac-12 games are called off.
On Thursday morning, it was Berkeley City’s strict coronavirus protocols that appeared to threaten the game at Tempe as the entire Golden Bears defensive line was reportedly quarantined.
Tracing contacts around a player who has tested positive has placed the entire group of positions in quarantine. Berkeley spokesman Matthai Chakko had told ESPN and Wilner that the city was forcing all people to take 14 days of quarantine, even though Cal’s players continued to test negative for the virus.
On Tuesday evening, the City of Berkeley released a statement to ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura indicating that no further discussions were due regarding the status of the quarantined players.
“The University was informed last week of the timeline for when the case will end their isolation period and when contacts will end their quarantine,” Chakko said in a statement. “The team should use this information as a timeline for the return of these people to the field. No other directive is pending from the City. “
According to ESPN, this schedule would not allow these defensive linemen to play until Tuesday, which would follow the 14-day quarantine required by the city.
The coronavirus Pac-12 cancellation-of-play guidelines set the minimum threshold for the defensive lineman at four stock players, but Bonagura said teams can choose to continue playing below that number.
Thursday afternoon, Bonagura reported there was a “sense of cautious optimism” from Cal’s perspective that the game can take place. Bonagura noted that there was a chance the game would be moved to Sunday.
Then came news of ASU’s own virus issues later Thursday.
California missed its first game scheduled for 2020 against the Washington Huskies during the opening weekend of the conference for this reason.
It remains to be seen whether the teams could schedule catch-up matches. The Pac-12 schedule includes six scheduled games and room for a Week 7 game before the Conference Championship weekend on December 19, but there is no more room for a team like Cal to. make up for two missed matches.
Cal and ASU aren’t the only programs forced to be canceled in the first two weeks of Pac-12 seasons.
The Utah Utes called off their opener against the Arizona Wildcats last Saturday after several players tested positive for the coronavirus.
[ad_2]
Source link