The Arizona State Sun Devils having to cancel Saturday's scheduled game against the Cal Golden Bears due to positive COVID-19 cases and subsequent quarantines may have only been the beginning.
ESPN's Matt Barrie tweeted about the outbreak within the Arizona State program on Friday afternoon and provided a bleak outlook for the Sun Devils' showdown with the Colorado Buffaloes set for Nov. 21:
The situation within the ASU football program is dire. The facility is closed. An entire side of the ball has it. 6-staff members are positive. And they’re just at the beginning of the outbreak. When asked to describe it I was told: “This is bad. Really, really bad.”
— Matt Barrie (@MattBarrie) November 13, 2020
With the number of positives on the team, contact tracing has done the most damage to the depth and ability to field a team vs Cal. https://t.co/vBL5BLx29h
— Matt Barrie (@MattBarrie) November 13, 2020
ASU head coach Herm Edwards confirmed he is one of many people associated with the Sun Devils who tested positive.
After a game between the Utah Utes and UCLA Bruins was canceled because of coronavirus-related issues hindering the Utes, the Pac-12 added Cal-UCLA to the schedule on short notice. That matchup kicks off at 9 a.m. PT/noon ET on Sunday.
The Navy Midshipmen, Wisconsin Badgers and Florida Atlantic Owls are three examples of teams that have already experienced multiple schedule disruptions due to setbacks caused by COVID-19, and the fact that the Pac-12 left no room for bye weeks won't rush Arizona State back onto the field until the institution can safely field a squad.
The Sun Devils and other programs around the country could make games up, however, if the College Football Playoff is delayed past the planned start date of Jan. 1.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!