Coastal Carolina-Louisiana Sun Belt title game canceled due to COVID-19

The 11-0 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers will have to share the Sun Belt Conference football championship for 2020.

Late Thursday night, the Sun Belt confirmed that Coastal Carolina couldn't compete against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns in Saturday's title contest because of a positive COVID-19 test and subsequent contact tracing within the Chanticleers that left an entire position group unable to play.

Thus, the conference canceled the game and named both Coastal Carolina and Louisiana (9-1) as co-champions. 

"We are all obviously devastated with this development and hurt for the student-athletes from both institutions in that they will not have a chance to compete for a conference title," Coastal Carolina athletic director Matt Hogue said in a prepared statement. "However, the adherence to health and safety protocols for our student-athletes has been and remains the first priority. Those protocols and guidance from our medical team fully governs this decision."

Louisiana athletic director Bryan Maggard added: 

"We are severely disappointed for our student-athletes and staff to not have the opportunity to play in what would have been a truly exciting championship game for the Sun Belt Conference. For our football program, fans and alumni, we look forward to learning of our bowl destination this weekend." 

The Ragin' Cajuns also addressed the news via Twitter.