(Reuters) – Two more college American football bowl games have been called off due to COVID-19 cases at the Boston College and University of Virginia programs, the teams said on Sunday.
The Military Bowl, featuring Boston against East Carolina, and the Fenway Bowl, which pitted the Virginia Cavaliers against the Southern Methodist Mustangs, were the latest games to be affected.
The Hawaii Bowl, scheduled to be played on Dec. 24, was also scrapped due to COVID-19, while Rutgers University had to replace Texas A&M University for the Gator Bowl game against Wake Forest University on Dec. 31.
“In the days leading up to the team’s planned departure date (Dec. 25), some UVA players displayed symptoms associated with COVID-19 and subsequently tested positive for the virus,” the Virginia Cavaliers said in a statement.
“As a result, the entire team was tested Christmas morning. The completed test results … revealed additional positive tests that prevent the team from safely participating in the game.”
Boston College director of athletics Pat Kraft said their COVID outbreak compounded other personnel issues.
“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,” Kraft said.
North American sport has struggled to contain a surge of COVID-19 outbreaks amid a busy holiday season, with many elite leagues being forced to postpone games.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
