Tulsa-Navy postponed due to Navy COVID cases
The American Athletic Conference has postponed the Tulsa at Navy game scheduled for Saturday due to positive COVID-19 cases and contact tracing at Navy.
The schools and conference made the announcement in a news release Thursday. It’s the fourth FBS game this week and the 41st since Aug. 26 to be postponed or canceled.
A makeup date has not been announced. Tulsa and Navy do not share a common open date the rest of the season, so the conference will “consider a number of options with regard to the playing of the contest.”
This is the fourth time that a Tulsa game has been postponed or canceled due to COVID cases. Tulsa’s game against Oklahoma State was pushed back a week to Sept. 19 because Tulsa had COVID issues. The Golden Hurricane were supposed to play Arkansas State on Sept. 26, but the Red Wolves couldn’t put a two-deep lineup together. That game has not been rescheduled. Tulsa was set to play Cincinnati last month, but the Bearcats said they couldn’t play, and the game was moved to Dec. 5.
“We knew that this season would be different in the face of the pandemic, and unfortunately has forced another weekend without football for our team,” Tulsa athletic director Rick Dickson said. “I’m disappointed for our football student-athletes and coaches who continue to work and practice diligently, but it reinforces the challenge facing all programs.”
Navy halted all football activities after positive COVID-19 cases among players and players being placed in quarantine after contact tracing determined they had high-risk contact with an infected person. Navy did not specify the number of players impacted.
“We are disappointed not to face Tulsa this weekend, however protocols and guidelines are very comprehensive both at the Naval Academy and within the American Athletic Conference,” Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk said. “An administrative decision has been made that clearly reflects the safety and welfare of all involved with both institutions.”
___
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25.
