Fresno State football game canceled due to positive COVID-19 case within program
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno State's upcoming rivalry game against San Jose State (4-0) has been canceled after a positive COVID-19 case was confirmed within the Fresno State program.
The Mountain West Conference explained the decision in a statement saying "due to COVID-19 contact tracing within the Fresno State football program, the Bulldogs are unable to participate in the scheduled game on Nov. 21 vs. San Jose State."
This is the first cancellation for either school this season.
It's the third game canceled this weekend in the Mountain West. Fresno State's last two opponents, Utah State and UNLV, also saw their games canceled against Wyoming and Colorado State respectively.
Fresno State Athletic Director Terry Tumey released the following statement:
"As a result, we will not be able to participate in this weekend's scheduled competition against San Jose State. From a competitive perspective, we are disappointed for our student-athletes, coaches and our Red Wave fans who were excited for this long-standing rivalry contest.
"That being said, the health and safety of our student-athletes, staff, and campus community have been, and will continue to be, our number one priority."
Earlier this week Fresno County moved back into the purple tier on the state ranking system. 94% of the state's population is now in this tier, the most severe tier when it comes to COVID-19 spread.
The Bulldogs (3-1) were looking to reclaim the Valley trophy against their longest rival. There are no open dates for either team with both teams originally scheduled to play 8 games in 8 weeks.
San Diego State (3-1) is now set to be the Bulldogs next opponent. The Aztecs trip on 11/27 will be Fresno State's final game at Bulldog Stadium in 2020. Kickoff is set for 6:00 PM with the game broadcast on FS1.
