Washington’s game against Cal on Nov. 7 has been canceled due to a positive COVID-19 test, the Pac-12 Conference announced Thursday.
The game will be declared a no-contest under conference policy.
“The decision was made under the Pac-12’s football game cancellation policy due to Cal not having the minimum number of scholarship players available for the game as a result of a positive football student-athlete COVID-19 case and resulting isolation and additional football student-athletes under contact tracing protocols,” the Pac-12 Conference tweeted.
On Oct. 9, the Pac-12 Conference set minimum thresholds to play a football game, saying there should be at least 53 scholarship players available to participate. That includes at least one quarterback, seven offensive linemen and four defensive linemen.
Schools that don’t meet the minimum threshold can choose to play the game. Otherwise the game will be rescheduled or declared a no contest.
Golden Bears coach Justin Wilcox said earlier this week that the positive test caused a “significant” number of Cal players to need contact tracing. The player who tested positive is asymptomatic.
The first player tested positive from a daily antigen test, then received a PCR test as part of the protocol and also received a positive result.
Wilcox said Cal's athletic department was in contact with Washington officials about the game.
UW Director of Athletics Jen Cohen's released the following statement on the cancellation of the UW-Cal football game:
"Our students, coaches and staff have put in incredible amount of hard work to get to this point and we are deeply disappointed they won't have the opportunity to compete Saturday in Berkeley. I'm also disappointed for Husky Nation, they have been so patient and supportive, and we know they couldn't wait to cheer on our Dawgs this weekend. With that said, the policies and protocols developed by the Pac-12, local and state officials placed the health and safety of students, coaches and staff at the forefront. We will now turn our attention to next week and start our preparations for Oregon State."