Multiple College Bowl Games Canceled, Others Impacted as COVID-19 Cases Rise

Vanessa Etienne
·3 min read
fenway bowl and military bowl
fenway bowl and military bowl

Fenway Bowl; Military Bowl

A number of college bowl games have been canceled amid the surge of coronavirus cases in the U.S.

The Wasabi Fenway Bowl, Military Bowl, EasyPost Hawaii Bowl, Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, and the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl have all been impacted.

On Sunday, the University of Virginia dropped out of the Fenway Bowl "due to the number of COVID cases impacting its roster," resulting in the game, which was scheduled for Dec. 29 against Southern Methodist University, being canceled.

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The Military Bowl Foundation also announced Sunday that its game between Boston College and East Carolina University — which was scheduled for Monday — had been canceled due to an outbreak among Boston's team.

"This is a terrible situation obviously," Steve Beck, Military Bowl president and executive director, said in a release. "We appreciate everyone who worked so hard to try to make the game happen. Of course, the health and safety of the players and coaches is top priority. The decision not to play is understandable, but disappointing."

"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," Pat Kraft, Boston College director of athletics, added. "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."

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High School Apologizes for Lack of Sportsmanship After Football Game Continued Despite 106-0 Score
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Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty

Last Thursday, the University of Hawaii also pulled from its EasyPost Hawaii Bowl against the University of Memphis after about 30 players and staff tested positive for COVID.

While COVID protocols have caused a number of cancellations, some bowl games are hoping to continue after making adjustments.

A number of COVID cases among the University of Miami football team caused them to withdraw from the Sun Bowl on Sunday, per a release. However, the Sun Bowl Association and Washington State are hoping to find a replacement opponent before Friday's game.

"It is disappointing news that the University of Miami is unable to participate in the 2021 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl," the university said in a statement. "We will work with the Pac-12 Conference and the Sun Bowl Association to hopefully find a replacement opponent for the game."

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Texas A&M withdrew from the Gator Bowl due to COVID concerns but was later replaced by Rutgers University. Wake Forest University will take on Rutgers on Dec. 31. as originally scheduled.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the Omicron variant is currently the most dominant COVID-19 strain in the country at 73.2% of cases reported between Dec. 12 and Dec. 18. The week prior, only 12.6% of the reported coronavirus cases were Omicron.

On Nov. 29, the CDC said that it "strongly encourages" all individuals receive a booster shot six months after their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna, or two months after their first dose of the Johnson & Johnson shot. The announcement came shortly after the Omicron variant was detected in North America for the first time in two people from Canada that had recently returned to the country from a trip to Nigeria.

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