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Pinstripe Bowl Canceled as a Precaution Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

pinstripe bowl

The 2020 Pinstripe Bowl has been canceled "out of an abundance of caution" amid the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers announced on Friday.

"Due to the recent increase in coronavirus cases, which has led to the imposition of various travel restrictions and the cancellation of many college football games, including those in the Big Ten and ACC Conferences, we have made the decision out of an abundance of caution and in conjunction with both conferences to cancel the 2020 New Era Pinstripe Bowl. The priority of the Yankees, New Era Pinstripe Bowl, Big Ten and ACC is the safety of players, coaches and staff, and this decision is consistent with that approach," Pinstripe Bowl organizers said in a statement.

The bowl game, which has been played annually at Yankee Stadium since its inception in 2010, pits a Big Ten team against an ACC team. It marks the eighth bowl game to be canceled this year, reducing the total to 35 games.

Both the Big Ten and ACC have seen numerous games canceled or postponed this fall as the pandemic's effect on college football worsens. Week 12's plethora of games affected included Clemson-Florida State being postponed when a Tigers player tested positive for COVID-19 after the team landed in Tallahassee. Week 13's adjusted slate includes the cancellation of Minnesota-Wisconsin due to an outbreak within the Golden Gophers organization. The game will not be rescheduled, making the Badgers ineligible for the Big 10 championship game after they already missed two other contests.

COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the U.S. amid the holiday season. According to The New York Times, at least 103,116 new cases were reported on Thanksgiving Day. Over the past week, an average of 164,687 cases has been reported per day, marking a 23% increase from the average two weeks earlier.

The 2019 Pinstripe Bowl saw Michigan State beat Wake Forest 27–21. Organizers of the bowl game said they look forward to hosting the event again in 2021.

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