Tag: postponement

New Hampshire Cup Series race postponed

The NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway has been postponed until noon Monday due to inclement weather. USA Network will carry coverage of the Crayon 301. SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and PRN will carry the radio coverage. For those …

The NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway has been postponed until noon Monday due to inclement weather.

USA Network will carry coverage of the Crayon 301. SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and PRN will carry the radio coverage.

For those attending the race, gates will open at 10am ET. For those who cannot attend the race, the Speedway Motorsports Weather Guarantee will allow for an exchange toward another Speedway Motorsports NASCA or NTT IndyCar Series race during the next calendar year.

Heavy rain is expected to last throughout the day in Loudon. A flash flood warning was also issued for the area.

Christopher Bell will lead the field to the green flag Monday. He is also the defending race winner.

Bell will be joined on the front row by Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. William Byron, the championship points leader, starts seventh. There are 36 drivers entered in the race.

The Crayon 301 is the 20th race on the schedule and the one annual visit NASCAR makes to New Hampshire. There will be six races remaining in the regular season at its conclusion.

Raiders owner Mark Davis wants Browns game moved to Las Vegas

Desperate to try to reach the playoffs, Raiders owner Mark Davis thinks his team is disadvantaged by the postponement and wants the game moved to Vegas:

The Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders will play Monday late afternoon football in Cleveland. Their Saturday game was postponed to Monday due to health concerns related to a COVID-19 outbreak among the Browns team.

Cleveland’s roster has had over 20 players on their reserve/COVID-19 list much of the week and would have been heavily depleted for Saturday’s matchup. The league’s bigger concern was continued spread both among players and between teams.

Raiders linebacker K.J. Wright believes that the league only moved the game due to favoritism toward the Browns despite two other games also being moved.

The team’s owner is also not happy about the decision to move the game back two days citing competitive disadvantages for Las Vegas. Mark Davis even went as far as to suggest the game should be moved to the Raiders stadium in Nevada to make it fairer:

Outside of the logistics of making that extreme change, Davis also seems to believe the game was moved to help the Browns despite the league noting that the decision was made on medical advice and not for competitive reasons.

For the Raiders, their slim hopes of a playoff birth rest on winning the rest of their games and having teams ahead of them, including Cleveland, lose many of their games. That, along with the shortened time between games from Week 15 and 16, seems to be the reason for such angst from Las Vegas over the postponement.

The Browns, for what it is worth, will also have the disadvantage of a quick turnaround with their road game against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, Christmas Day.

List of Browns 24 players on reserve/COVID-19 list

As of Friday afternoon, the Browns have 24 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list. We will keep the list up to date if anything changes before the game Monday:

The Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders will now face off in an early Monday Night Football matchup. The outbreak of Browns players placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list led to the NFL and NFLPA having to make a decision that few expected but many were calling for.

Two other games have also been postponed by the league for Week 15.

As of Friday afternoon, Cleveland has the following 24 players on their reserve/COVID-19 list based on reports:

  • QB Baker Mayfield
  • QB Case Keenum
  • WR Jarvis Landry
  • WR JoJo Natson – Practice squad, active in Week 14
  • TE Austin Hooper
  • TE Ross Travis – Practice squad
  • OL Wyatt Teller
  • OL Jedrick Wills
  • OL Drew Forbes – On injured reserve
  • DE Jadeveon Clowney
  • DE Takk McKinley
  • DE Ifeadi Odenigbo
  • DT Malik McDowell
  • LB Anthony Walker
  • LB Mack Wilson
  • LB Jacob Phillips
  • LB Tony Fields
  • CB Troy Hill – Also injured and unlikely to play due to the injury
  • CB A.J. Green
  • S John Johnson III
  • S Ronnie Harrison
  • S Grant Delpit
  • S Nate Meadors – Practice squad
  • P Jamie Gillan

The team activated TE David Njoku and TE Stephen Carlson (on injured reserve) from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday.

It will be interesting to see if any, and how many, of those 24 players will be activated in time for the game Monday. Unless policies are changed, the player must be activated by Sunday afternoon to be eligible for the game.

Big 12 Football: Add the Oklahoma-West Virginia game to the list of postponements

The Oklahoma Sooners and West Virginia Mountaineers will now join four other teams that will play on Dec. 12 due to COVID-19 issues.

Last week’s game featuring the Texas Longhorns and Kansas Jayhawks was postponed last Wednesday. Now we can add the Oklahoma Sooners and West Virginia Mountaineers game to the list. It was reported on Wednesday that the game was postponed due to COVID-19 tests and contact tracing on the Sooners’ side, according to Sooners Wire.

“In accordance with Big 12 Conference football game interruption guidelines, the Oklahoma at West Virginia game scheduled for Nov. 28 has been postponed,” Oklahoma football announced in a press release. “The game will be rescheduled on Dec. 12. The time and television designation will be announced when available.”

The Sooners were scheduled to play West Virginia at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday night. The two are now scheduled to play on Dec. 12. The time has not been announced.

With Oklahoma’s game now being moved, there will be three games played on Dec. 12, each of which could have Big 12 Championship game implications. That is all based on how the next two weeks go in terms of the games being played.

The Texas Longhorns will host the Iowa State Cyclones on Friday. A Texas loss will put Iowa State in the championship and the Longhorns would conceivably be on the outs. However, losses by Oklahoma and Oklahoma State could put them right back into the thick of things.

Dec. 12 Schedule:

  • Oklahoma State-Baylor
  • Texas-Kansas
  • Oklahoma-West Virginia

The game times are to be announced.

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Chiefs coaches staying flexible with game delays due to COVID-19

Chiefs coaches are working hard to remain “calm and poised” despite scheduling changes.

The Kansas City Chiefs have already dealt with one game postponement this season due to positive COVID-19 cases. The news came down yesterday afternoon that the Chiefs’ Week 6 game against Buffalo Bills on “Thursday Night Football” has tentatively been moved to Sunday.

Given all the uncertainty surrounding potential game delays and the 2020 season in general, the coaching staff in Kansas City has learned to be adaptive. For defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, he’s essentially forgotten about what’s considered a routine week in the NFL.

“I’m smiling because there’s been nothing routine about this year,” Spagnuolo told reporters on Thursday. “The defensive coaches and I were talking about how we have not had a normal Sunday to Sunday game week. We haven’t had one. Not even going back to training camp and with that Thursday night game. It’s just exactly what you said. I’m not sure what normal is. You could say normal from last year. I guess maybe we’re kind of getting used to it. We’re in the chaos. Be calm and poised in the chaotic circumstances we’re in and be ready to roll. Just have to stay flexible, right?”

As for Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, he has some experience with games being rescheduled. He was on the Minnesota Vikings staff back in 2010 when they had a number of reschedules due to severe weather. There was a Sunday night game against the Philadelphia Eagles that was delayed until Tuesday due to a massive snowstorm in Philadelphia. He’s learned to keep an open mind about these things since then, he’s also learned to take advantage of the extra time by getting some rest.

“One thing you learn in this profession is to always remain flexible, especially with everything that we’re dealing with,” Bieniemy explained. “With what happened this particular week, though, I’m not a guy that’s going to look ahead because one thing I want to do, I always want to focus on the task. Our staff will start ahead, I just want to make sure that I’ve got all these particular plays and situations in my head, so I don’t cloud that particular vision. But I’ve got to let you in on a little secret, I took a nap, and it felt damn good.”

While the team did get an extra day to rest and prepare, on the other end they get a shorter week, with one less day to recover and prepare for the next opponent. It presents a challenge for the coaches and players.

“So, we played on Monday night, hey, a national crowd, we got to play and put on a performance,” Bieniemy said. “I know everybody wasn’t happy with the performance, but a win is a win. But the next thing, hey, we lose a day, it’s okay, we grind. This is what we do. We get back to it and it’s all about the Raiders right now. And one more thing, it’s all about the Raiders and we’re one week from kickoff against Buffalo.”

The team will focus on what they can control for the time being and that isn’t when the games are played. They can focus on how they prepare for the next week. Right now, that means getting prepared to face a Las Vegas Raiders team that is hungry for a win in Kansas City.

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What does the Big Ten’s return mean for the college football season?

With the Big Ten back in the fold, however, what does that mean for the college football season?

On Wednesday, the Big Ten announced that it would reverse course on its earlier decision to postpone the fall season.

The conference originally cited difficulties of contact tracing and uncertainty toward the long-term effects of exposure to COVID-19 as reasons for the postponement, but the decision was controversial and the league faced significant backlash, including from within its own ranks.

The decision to reverse doesn’t come without stringent COVID-19 protocols though, or at least more stringent than those undertaken by other leagues in the Power Five. The Big Ten will attempt thorough contact tracing, and any players who test positive can’t return to competition for 21 days.

To attempt to address the issue of myocarditis, the heart condition that has been associated with those who have had COVID-19, including a number of Big Ten athletes, the league will have players who tested positive undergo extensive cardiac testing. Players will also be placed in a cardiac registry to monitor their long term effects.

With the Big Ten back in the fold, however, what does that mean for the college football season?

The conference is currently eying a return for the weekend of Oct. 24. This would, in theory, give the league enough time to complete its season in time to compete for the College Football Playoff.

For that to happen, it would take approval from the 10 FBS commissioners, with the decision likely to come down to the whims of the SEC, ACC and Big 12. Presumably, however, they would allow the Big Ten to do so despite playing a shortened season.

Players from the Big Ten who decided to opt-out, such as star Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons, would be allowed to return to school as long as they haven’t signed an agent.

Though four-fifths of the Power Five are now back on track for a fall season, it seems unlikely the Pac-12 will return this season.

State regulations in California and Oregon prevent teams from even having contact practices, and university presidents in the conference won’t vote to resume play until that changes.

The Pac-12 has more extensive barriers preventing a season, and it’s unlikely it could start play this fall until late November or even December. Such a start would almost certainly exclude it from the College Football Playoff.

But one thing is certain: With the Big Ten’s midseason return, this college football season is shaping up to be as bizarre and unprecedented as promised.

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Big 12 Football: Oklahoma State-Tulsa game delayed due to COVID-19

The Big 12 Conference has its second game that has been impacted by COVID-19. The OSU-Tulsa game has now been moved back a week.

On the heels of the Southern Methodist-Texas Christian football game being postponed due to COVID-19, another game is being impacted. It doesn’t come as much of a shock considering Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby’s recent comments about the postponement.

“I’m not even sure how to answer that question,” Bowlsby said when asked if he was confident in playing a full season. “I will tell you this: I don’t think the TCU/SMU game will be the last game we will not be able to play. I have said to some of you, as well as to others, that I expect there will be disruptions and we’ve already had one. – according to Riley Gates on 247Sports

That quote came just hours ahead of another Big 12 game being disrupted. The Oklahoma State and Tulsa game will also be postponed. This according to Stadium’s Brett McMurphy, who stated it was being pushed back one week due to Tulsa’s COVID issues.

This should serve as a reminder that despite the fact that college football has returned, we are far from being out of the woods just yet. While the Texas Longhorns have been the “gold standard” for protecting their athletes, according to quarterback Sam Ehlinger, it can strike at any time. So keep monitoring social distancing and wear your masks. This is the only way that we can watch the Texas Longhorns play the game we love in 2020.

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Report: Iowa one of three schools to not vote to postpone the Big Ten football season

The circus-like back-and-forth about the Big Ten presidents’ vote and whether it happened was a sight to see. Finally two days ago it was…

The circus-like back-and-forth about the Big Ten presidents’ vote and whether it happened was a sight to see.

Finally two days ago it was cleared up in a Big Ten statement that said the presidents “voted to postpone the fall sports season” and “reached an 11-3 decision which far exceeds the 60% threshold required by the Big Ten By-Laws.”

ESPN senior college football writer Adam Rittenberg followed this statement with a report that three schools voted to not postpone the season: Iowa, Ohio State and Nebraska.

If you’ve been following the story at all this news doesn’t come as much of a surprise, as all three schools listed above have been adamant since the decision was made that the conference should be playing football.

Related: Opinion: What the NCAA can do to fix the structure of college football and save the sport

The information coming out now, though, is valuable for everyone who has followed the story. But it still doesn’t make much sense why this wasn’t reported when the decision first came down.

There were media reports saying there was a vote, then reports that there wasn’t, then was, and so on. Being transparent during a process like this, one which led to a verdict that has far-reaching implications, is necessary for the health of the sport from top to bottom.

Again it’s good the information was finally released. It just shouldn’t have taken a lawsuit to get it out.

More will come out in the coming days about the Big Ten’s plan forward and their process of postponing. We can only hope, then, that the conference and those involved are transparent during this process and work together to reach the best way forward.

Pac-12 announces it will not play college football this fall

The announcement by the two leagues foreshadows a series of moves that may eventually lead to the cancellation of the entire FBS season.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published by USA TODAY Sports and has been republished in its entirety below. 

The Pac-12 has decided to not play its football season this fall over concerns that the sport carries too much risk for athletes, the conference said Tuesday, joining the Big Ten as the second member of the Power Five to elect not to play over the health issues raised by the coronavirus pandemic.

Combined, the announcement by the two leagues less than two hours apart foreshadow a series of similar moves that may eventually lead to the cancellation of the entire Bowl Subdivision season.

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“The health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes and all those connected to Pac-12 sports has been our number one priority since the start of this current crisis,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott. “Our student-athletes, fans, staff and all those who love college sports would like to have seen the season played this calendar year as originally planned, and we know how disappointing this is.”

All Pac-12 sports competitions will be postponed until at least Jan. 1, the league said. The decision came following a meeting of the Pac-12 CEO Group.

In addition to canceling the football season, the announcement impacts a number of other fall sports in the Pac-12, including volleyball and soccer.

The remaining members of the Power Five remain scheduled to play beginning in September. Commissioners from the Big 12 and SEC have preached a patient approach while evaluating health concerns that may arise due to the coronavirus.

“Unlike professional sports, college sports cannot operate in a bubble,” Scott said. “Our athletic programs are a part of broader campuses in communities where in many cases the prevalence of COVID-19 is significant.  We will continue to monitor the situation and when conditions change we will be ready to explore all options to play the impacted sports in the new calendar year.”

The conference will guarantee all scholarships and will encourage the NCAA to grant athletes an additional season of eligibility, the Pac-12 said.

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The Pac-12 announced on July 31 an altered schedule of 10 conference games beginning no earlier than Sept. 26. Like the Big Ten and SEC, the league opted against playing non-conference games as a way to provide scheduling flexibility and slightly minimize the potential risks in travel and competing against teams from areas outside the Pac-12 footprint.

The postponement of the Pac-12 fall sports season doesn’t directly impact other Power Five leagues due to this removal of non-conference play. (Only the ACC and Big 12 allowed a single non-league game under certain conditions.) However, removing the Pac-12 and Big Ten from the season does raise questions about the ability to conduct a hypothetical postseason and College Football Playoff without a complete roster of conferences.

While not as deep with championship contenders as the Big Ten and SEC and lacking a Clemson-like national front-runner, the Pac-12 was predicted to have at least on team, Oregon, be a factor in the playoff chase.

The Ducks were ranked ninth in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll. Another two teams, No. 17 Southern California and No. 20 Utah, joined Oregon in the preseason Top 25.

In all, four FBS conferences have decided against playing in the fall, with the Big Ten and Pac-12 joined by two Group of Five leagues, the MAC and Mountain West. Two independent programs, Connecticut and Massachusetts, have also decided to shift toward the potential for a spring season.

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