Cal vs. Washington CANCELED Due To Covid-19 Tracing

After reporting that one of its players had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus on Wednesday, Cal officials have pulled out of their season-opening game on Saturday against Washington

The COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the country has taken its first Pac-12 victim; the Cal Golden Bears.

After team officials discovered that one of their players tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, Pac-12 officials announced on Thursday that they have approved Cal's request to cancel its season opener against Washington on Saturday. The game will be declared a no contest.

According to the statement, Cal was able to request a cancellation because it was unable to meet the standards set regarding a minimum number of scholarship players. This does not mean that the Golden Bears have a team full of positive players, but that due to contact tracing they are forced to sit out.

Cal head coach Justin Wilcox confirmed on Wednesday night that a player had tested positive, and was asymptomatic. This in return forced an unknown number of players to be to be sidelined for contact tracing.

“If it is feasible for us to play we are going to play the game,“ Wilcox said on a Zoom call according to the Los Angeles Times. “Are there hurdles? There are hurdles, yes. With the players in question the game is in jeopardy. If we have the bodies available to play the game we will play the game. Several people are being held out and that’s a legitimate threat to the game.”

Wilcox then added that the team had practiced in a minimal capacity on Wednesday, but were unable to fully prepare for Washington due to contact tracing. Then came Thursday and the realization that the Golden Bears wouldn't be able to field a proper team on Saturday night.

While the game will be declared a no contest, this signifies a much bigger issue with the Pac-12's schedule. Due to the nature of it, there are no weeks that allow makeup games, which means Cal and Washington will not play one another this season and will play just six games this season.

Many thought this was a major flaw when the schedule released, and it looks as if that's being proven correct. 

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