College football’s bowl season is stumbling out of the gates
The college football bowl season has been dropped for another loss amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The latest setback came on Tuesday when the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl was canceled due to COVID-related issues at SMU. The Frisco Bowl was scheduled to be the first bowl game played on Saturday.
UTSA, who was scheduled to face SMU, will now play in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl in Dallas on Dec. 26. An opponent for UTSA will be announced in the coming days.
SMU ends its season with a 7-3 record.
“While we are disappointed in having to cancel the game, our top priority is the health and safety of all parties involved,” ESPN events vice president Clint Overby said in a statement. “We wish SMU, their student-athletes, coaches and administrators well during this time.”
Fans who have purchased tickets for the Frisco Bowl will be refunded automatically.
The Frisco Bowl joins the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl in El Paso as Texas-based bowl games that have been canceled. The total number of bowl games canceled is now in the double digits. Along with the Frisco Bowl and Sun Bowl, other games canceled include the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, Fenway Bowl, San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl, Bahamas Bowl, Hawai’i Bowl, LA Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl, Redbox Bowl, Quick Lane Bowl and Celebration Bowl.
The first bowl game is now scheduled to be the Myrtle Beach Bowl on Dec. 21. North Texas and Appalachian State are scheduled to play in that game.
This story was originally published December 15, 2020 at 10:01 AM.
