Utah-UCLA football game canceled due to COVID-19 issues within Utes

COVID-19 issues continue to be the dominant story of the college football week. 

Saturday's game between the Utah Utes and UCLA Bruins has been canceled due to positive COVID-19 cases and subsequent quarantines within the Utah program. 

"With an additional positive result today there are currently 17 confirmed positive cases among Utah football student-athletes, coaches and staff and an additional 11 members of the program are now in quarantine due to contact tracing protocols, putting Utah below the Pac-12 threshold of 53 available scholarship student-athletes," Utah explained in its official statement. 

Utah's season opener versus the Arizona Wildcats scheduled for last Saturday was also called off because the Utes couldn't safely field a team. 

Earlier in the day, the Arizona State-Cal showdown was canceled after multiple individuals associated with the Sun Devils, including head coach Herm Edwards, tested positive for the virus. ESPN's Kyle Bonagura is reporting that the Pac-12 might try to have Cal face UCLA at the Rose Bowl this weekend, even if doing so means holding that contest on an NFL Sunday. 

Cal's season opener versus the Washington Huskies was canceled last week after its entire defensive line was placed in quarantine following contract tracing. 

Meanwhile, the SEC is planning to use Dec. 19, the day of the league title game, as a makeup date for remaining games that were previously postponed. Both SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby have publicly admitted the College Football Playoff scheduled to begin Jan. 1 might have to be pushed back due to inevitable schedule disruptions.