Georgia Schedule Possibly Impacted by Mississippi State COVID Outbreak
The Auburn vs. Mississippi State game, which was scheduled to kick off this Saturday at 4:00, has been postponed.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs, who were scheduled to host the 24th-ranked Tigers this weekend, have had multiple positive COVID-19 tests.
The Southeastern Conference published a statement saying, “The Auburn at Mississippi State football game of November 14 has been postponed due to positive tests and subsequent quarantining of individuals within the Mississippi State football football program. The action is consistent with Southeastern Conference COVID-19 management requirements. The game is tentatively rescheduled for December 12.”
Mississippi State director of athletics John Cohen said in a statement, "Based on positive tests and those considered as close contacts, along with non-COVID injuries, we do not have the minimum number of scholarship student-athletes available for Saturday's game against Auburn. While we are disappointed that Saturday's game has been postponed, our priority is the health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes and staff. We will continue to follow all established protocols and evaluate the most responsible path to return to the field."
After traveling to Missouri this week, the Georgia Bulldogs are scheduled to host Mississippi State the following weekend on Nov. 21.
The conference as a whole has struggled with containing the virus. Auburn had an outbreak themselves, announced on Aug. 30. A few weeks ago, the Florida Gators had an outbreak that forced the athletic department to shut down the facilities for multiple days, ultimately delaying their matchup with LSU to Dec. 12. Alabama head coach Nick Saban and athletics director Greg Byrne tested positive just days before the Alabama-Georgia game, although Saban was able to coach after having multiple negative results prior to the Georgia game.
For conference teams to compete in postseason play with schools from other areas of the country, they have to show they can manage the spread of the virus. For Georgia, there have been no issues. Head Coach Kirby Smart said during his Monday press conference, "We are fortunate, knock on wood, in terms of COVID. We have been unfortunate in terms of injuries and they seem to happen in bunches. We’ve had quite a bit."
Dawgs Daily on SI.com will monitor the situation and update the status of the Nov. 21 game against Mississippi State.
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