Cal-Washington State Game Canceled; Bears' Season May Be Over

Cal's football game against Washington State, scheduled for Saturday afternoon in Pullman, Wash., has been canceled as a result of one Cal player testing positive for COVID-19 Saturday morning, the Pac-12 announced Saturday.

It's possible that Cal's season is over if the Bears are unable to play next week's game against an opponent to be determined later this weekend.

The Cal-Washington State game was canceled less than two hours before the game was scheduled to start at 1 p.m. Cal's team was already in Pullman, Wash., but will not get to play a game. The Bears were scheduled to take a charter flight home Saturday afternoon.

The unnamed Cal player who tested positive apparently will travel back to the Bay Area separately from the team. The Pac-12 announced in early November an arrangement with AirMed International air ambulance service “to provide game-day transport for individuals who test positive while traveling for competition.”

FOX, which was scheduled to televise the Cal-Washington State game, showed paid advertising instead in the Bay Area, but it ran a note during the infomercial that said the Washington State-Cal game was canceled and would be resheduled for a later date. However, there is no indication that the game would be played later. The Pac-12 has already declared the game a "no contest" in its announcement.

The Pac-12's plight was discussed by ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit, as we will note below.

Statement regarding today's Cal at Washington State #Pac12FB game: pic.twitter.com/rE8lOpieTw
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) December 12, 2020

The Pac-12 announcement reads as follows:

SAN FRANCISCO –

The Pac-12 has, after consultation with Cal, canceled the Cal at Washington State football game scheduled for later today, Saturday, December 12. This decision was made under the Pac-12's football game cancellation policy due to Cal not having the minimum number of scholarship student-athletes available for the game as a result of one positive football student-athlete COVID-19 case confirmed via a PCR test today and resulting isolation of additional football student-athletes under contact tracing protocols. Under Conference policy, the game will be declared a no contest.

The cancellation of this game is very disappointing to our student-athletes and our fans. While all of us want to see our football student-athletes on the field competing, our number one priority must continue to be the health and safety of all those connected to Pac-12 football programs.

Cal's had only six scholarship defensive line players available, and one did not travel. A team needs four defensive linemen to play a game, and Cal reportedly was only able to field two.

Bears would've been down to only two D-linemen, per source.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) December 12, 2020

The cancellation leaves Cal's record at 1-3, while Washington State remains 1-2. Both teams are scheduled to play another game next Saturday against an opponent to be determined later this weekend. However, this virus-related issue at Cal could prevent the Bears from playing a game next week as well, as contact-tracing issues typically require a 14-day quarantine.

Saturday's cancellation also prevents Cal from having at least a .500 record, which the Pac-12 requires for a team to accept a bowl invitation. The Pac-12 could change that requirement, but at 1-3 the Bears are unikely to seek a postseason berth even if one is available.

In short, Cal's season might be over.

Saturday's game was the third Cal game this season that was canceled. The Bears' opener against Washington was canceled because of contact-tracing issues on the Cal team, and the Bears' second game against Arizona State was also canceled, but that was canceled for virus-related issues at Arizona State. Cal was able to substitute a game against UCLA for the latter canceled contest, a game Cal lost.

The Cal-Washington State game was not the only Pac-12 game canceled this weekend, as the pivotal Washington-Oregon game, which would have determined the North Division participant in the Pac-12 title game, was also canceled. However, that game was canceled on Thursday, not a few hours before the game was scheduled to start.

When the Oregon-Washington game was canceled, the starting time of the Cal-Washington State game was changed from a 7:30 p.m. kickoff to 1 p.m. so that it could be televised by FOX. Ultimately, FOX was left without a game to televise in the 1 p.m. slot.

On Saturday during ESPN's Game Day, college football analyst Herbstreit talked about how the Pac-12 is perceived, according to a report by Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News.

“They’ve become less respected than the American [conference],’’ Herbstreit said. “That’s where the Pac-12 is right now.

"I know they started late, but they have an undefeated USC team. Colorado’s been a great story. Nothing. They’re not even a blip on the radar.

“I always try to fight for the Pac-12, and I’m not saying those teams are worthy of being in the top five. But to not even be recognized or talked about isn’t right.”

Host Rece Davis then said, “I think it is this year. I’m okay with it this year. They’re going to play in a New Year’s Six bowl.”

“Well, yeah,” Herbstreit said, “because they have to.”

USC clinched a berth in the Pac-12 title game even before it took the field against UCLA Saturday. Colorado's loss to Utah Saturday morning assured the the Trojans would be the South Division representative in the championship game. Their opponent in the title game could be Washington if the Huskies are available to play in next Friday's championship game after COVID issues at Washington caused the cancellation of the Oregon game.

Cover photo of Justin Wilcox by Stan Szeto, USA TODAY Sports

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