'We just do not have enough players': More bowl games canceled as COVID cases surge

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Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec prepares to hand the ball off during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Wake Forest on Saturday, Nov. 27 in Boston. The Fenway Bowl and Military Bowl have been canceled due to the pandemic as coronavirus outbreaks at Virginia and Boston College forced them to call off their postseason plans. / AP

For the second year in a row, college bowl games are being canceled as coronavirus case counts climb. Rosters are also depleted by injuries and players either opting out of games or transferring to other schools.

On Sunday, two more schools announced they they wouldn't participate in bowl games. The University of Virginia Cavaliers dropped out of Wednesday's Wasabi Fenway Bowl "due to the number of COVID cases impacting its roster, preventing safe participation," the Fenway Bowl said in a statement announcing the game's cancelation.

The Virginia team was supposed to head to Boston on Christmas Day to play the Southern Methodist University Mustangs. But as they prepared for that date, some UVA players started showing symptoms consistent with COVID-19, UVA said in a statement. After those players tested positive for the virus, the rest of the team was tested on Christmas morning — and more players were found to have the virus.

"We are extremely disappointed the team will not be able to participate in the inaugural Fenway Bowl," Virginia Athletics Director Carla Williams said in a statement. The bowl would have been the last chance for outgoing coach Bronco Mendenhall to coach the team.

Also Sunday, Military Bowl organizers said the bowl game would be canceled, due to a spate of positive coronavirus cases at Boston College, where more than 40 players were unavailable to play.

"This is not the way we wanted to see this season come to an end," said Boston College head football coach Jeff Haley. "We just do not have enough players to safely play a game."

The Military Bowl, which would have pitted the Boston College Eagles against the East Carolina University Pirates, was scheduled to kick off Monday in Annapolis, after a parade and festival. All of the events are now canceled.

These are just the latest of several bowl games canceled as the omicron variant of the coronavirus overtakes the country. The University of Hawaiʻi said Thursday that its team, the Rainbow Warriors, wouldn't compete against the Memphis Tigers. The EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl had been scheduled for Friday.

Also last week, Texas A&M bowed out of the Gator Bowl, "due to a combination of COVID-19 issues within the Texas A&M football program, as well as season-ending injuries," the school said.

"We just don't have enough scholarship players available to field a team," Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher said.

But the Gator Bowl will go on, with Rutgers University invited to replace Texas A&M in Jacksonville, Fla., where it will compete against Wake Forest University.

The College Football Playoff management committee updated its policies last week for the national championship and the Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl and Peach Bowl, should any team be unable to compete in those games.

During the playoff semifinals, a team that doesn't have enough players will forfeit, and their opponent will advance to the national championship game in Indianapolis. The championship — currently scheduled for Jan. 10 — can be rescheduled as late as Jan. 14. At that point, any team unable to play will forfeit, leaving the other as the national champion.

If neither team can play, the CFP said, "then the game shall be declared 'no contest' and the CFP National Championship shall be vacated for this season."

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