Two more college football bowl games were canceled Sunday and another’s status remained uncertain due to COVID-19 outbreaks.
University of Miami's team on Sunday announced it would not travel to El Paso, Texas, to play in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl against Washington State on Friday. The New Year's Eve game, played annually since 1935, is one the nation's four oldest bowl games.
Earlier Sunday, the Military Bowl and Wasabi Fenway Bowl were canceled due to coronavirus issues, NBC News reported.
The Sun Bowl wasn't immediately canceled, though Executive Director Bernie Olivas told NBC affiliate KTSM: "As far as a backup plan, because we are where we are, we don’t have one right now."
"It is very disappointing that COVID is taking a toll on so many college football teams and bowl games," Olivas said in a statement, ESPN reported. "As of this moment, the 2021 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl game has not been canceled, although the University of Miami has withdrawn from the game. We are currently looking for a possible replacement team, in the hopes of having one to compete against Washington State."
Boston College was unable to field enough players to play against East Carolina in the Military Bowl, and an outbreak prevented Virginia from traveling to play Southern Methodist University in the Fenway Bowl at Boston.
The Military Bowl had been scheduled for Monday afternoon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland, and the Fenway Bowl had been set for Wednesday in Fenway Park.
Last Thursday, the Hawaii Bowl was canceled a day before the scheduled kickoff after the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors backed out of their game against Memphis due to COVID-19 and injuries.
Texas A&M last week pulled out of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl due to injuries and players placed in COVID-19 protocol. However, game organizers replaced A&M with Rutgers University as Wake Forest's opponent.
The College Football Playoff semifinals — No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Cincinnati in the Cotton Bowl at Dallas; No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 Georgia in the Orange Bowl at Miami — are scheduled for Friday, with the championships game set for Jan. 10 in Indianapolis.
With the omicron variant causing a spike in COVID-19 cases, officials said last week that teams could advance to the championship game, or one even declared champion, due to COVID forfeits.
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