Sports
College football bowls canceled because of Covid-19
Most teams don’t have enough players on their rosters to participate
December 28, 2021 6:34am
Updated: December 28, 2021 1:41pm
As the number of covid-19 cases increases throughout the country, college football bowls and teams are affected. Most teams say they do not have enough players on their rosters due to the virus.
As of Monday, four bowl games have been affected by Covid-19 cases. The Military Bowl in Annapolis was canceled because one of the teams playing, Boston College, did not have enough players available due to a spike in Covid-19 cases.
"Unfortunately, due to cases of Covid-19 rising within our program since our arrival, along with season-ending injuries, opt-outs, and transfers, we just do not have enough players to field a team," said the Director of Athletics at Boston College Pat Kraft. "We are disappointed not to be able to finish the season together as a team, but the health and safety of our program is our highest priority."
Along with the Military Bowl, the Military Bowl Parade and Military Bowl Tailgate festival were also canceled.
The Fenway Bowl between the University of Virginia and Southern Methodist University scheduled for Wednesday in Boston was also canceled. The University of Virginia did not have enough members to participate in the bowl due to Covid-19.
The Hawaii Bowl scheduled for December 24, was also canceled because of Covid-19 issues.
The 2021 Arizona Bowl itself was also canceled, organizers announced in a tweet. Boise State Athletics, who was going to play in the bowl, canceled all football activities due to Covi-19 protocols.
— The Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl (@theARIZONABOWL) December 28, 2021
Not only are Bowls being canceled, but teams are also withdrawing their participation in games because of a lack of available players.
Texas A&M announced on Wednesday it would not participate in the Gator Bowl against Wake Forest University. Rutgers will replace Texas A&M for the New Year’s Eve game.
Miami also withdrew from the Sun Bowl due to Covid-19 protocols. "We are extremely disappointed that our football team will be unable to participate in the 2021 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. But due to the number of COVID-19 cases impacting our roster we do not have enough student-athletes to safely compete, and the health and safety of our student-athletes will always be our top priority," said Jennifer Strawley, the university's deputy athletic director.
