ACC Adjusts COVID Policy Forfeiture Rule
GREENSBORO, N.C. - With COVID-19 cases around college basketball ramping up in recent weeks, the Atlantic Coast Conference has made a significant change to their COVID-19 Game Rescheduling Policy.
The league's athletic directors unanimously voted Wednesday to adjust the forfeiture rule from the policy, effective immediately. Moving forward, if an ACC game among winter sport programs - including basketball - cannot be played due to COVID-19 issues with either team, it will be rescheduled, or declared a no contest if it cannot be rescheduled.
Previously, if a team was unable to play an ACC game due to COVID-19, the game was outright cancelled. The team with COVID issues was "deemed to have forfeited" and given a loss, with the scheduled opponent receiving a win.
To ensure that games can be played, the ACC did add a stipulation for men's and women's basketball. Teams must have a minimum of seven players and one coach to be able to play a game. If a team does not have the required participants and elects not to play, the game is a non-contest. If they do, and still elect not to play, they are given a forfeit.
Not only is this the right move due to the rapid influx of COVID cases across the nation, but this is also good news for the Louisville men's basketball program. The Cardinals are currently in a COVID pause, and were potentially in danger of having their upcoming game vs. Wake Forest on Dec. 29 cancelled, thus resulting in a loss.
Louisville sits at 7-4 on the season, and are 1-0 in the ACC after winning at NC State back on Dec. 4. The Cardinals were in line to travel to Kentucky on Dec. 22 before being forced to postpone the game due to their pause.
(Photo of ACC logo via Busting Brackets)
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