TEMPE — This week's football game between ASU and Cal is canceled due to 'a number of positive cases' of COVID-19 among players and staff.
Vice President for ASU Athletics, Ray Anderson, released a statement Friday announcing Head Coach Herm Edwards, multiple student-players and other coaching staff members tested positive for coronavirus.
"We have had to invoke the Pac-12's football game cancellation policy for this week's game. The cancellation of a game is very difficult to accept for all of us, but it is the right decision under the circumstances. In every case we continue to consider the health, safety and welfare of out student-athletes as our number one priority," said Anderson.
He went on to say that the number of confirmed cases put the team below the Pac-12's minimum threshold of 53 available scholarship student-athletes under the league's game cancellation policy.
"After consultation with our medical advisors and Coach Edwards, we immediately began a conversation with the Pac-12 office and California Athletics Director Kim Knowlton to make them aware of the situation," said Anderson.
Those with positive test results and those in contact tracing protocols are in isolation and receiving the appropriate medical care, according to ASU officials.
.@ASUFootball's game vs. Cal this weekend has been cancelled.
— Arizona State Sun Devils (@TheSunDevils) November 13, 2020
Full statement from Ray Anderson and Herm Edwards: https://t.co/9MgCcj1oUx
Coach Edwards also released the following statement:
"First, I want to say that Lia, the girls and I are fine and I will be back quicker than you can say 'Forks Up!' Second, even with the marvelous care our medical professionals have provided for myself, my staff and my team over the past few months the virus still found me. So, I encourage all of you to take this virus seriously, to wear a mask, practice physical distancing and get tested whenever possible."
