Georgia Tech's game against Pitt, scheduled for Saturday night at Bobby Dodd Stadium, was postponed, the ACC announced Thursday afternoon.
According to the release, "The rescheduling follows positive tests, subsequent quarantining, and contact tracing within the Georgia Tech and Pitt football teams. The teams are adhering to the minimum outlined protocols within ACC Medical Advisory Group report."
The Yellow Jackets team has paused athletic activities, but expects to be able to play its next scheduled game, at Miami on Nov. 21. In a standard game week, the team's first practice of the week is on Sunday. Pitt has paused all team activities due to COVID-related protocols.
"It's unfortunate that we will not be able to play this Saturday as scheduled, but the decision was made in the best interests of the health and safety of both teams," Georgia Tech athletic director Todd Stansbury said in a statement. "For our team in particular, a combination of on-field injuries, Covid-19 contact tracing and a relatively low number of positive Covid-19 tests left us unable to field the requisite number of student-athletes needed to compete, particularly at certain positions."
The game became the ninth college football game scheduled for this week that has been postponed or cancelled for reasons related to COVID-19, and it was followed minutes later by the announcement of a 10th, Rice-Louisiana Tech. There have been 57 games altogether that have been adjusted due to the pandemic.
The game has been scheduled to be played Dec. 12 at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The ACC's modified schedule left open that date, between the end of the regular season and the ACC championship game, for potential makeup games. There are now four games involving seven conference teams scheduled for that weekend, almost half of the 15-team league. The conference is approaching a point where games may not be able to be made up on that weekend, and perhaps ever, if more games are unable to be played as scheduled.
"We are fortunate to have an outstanding group of doctors and medical professionals providing us daily consultation in this challenging environment," Pitt AD Heather Lyke said in a statement. "Following their recommendation, our football program will pause all activities. Our protocols have prepared us to anticipate and manage these circumstances. Our top priority will always be the health and well-being of our student-athletes, coaches and staff."
On Monday, Pitt issued shelter-in-place guidelines due to increasing number of positive tests on campus and in Allegheny County.
To this point, Tech had been able to avoid postponements either due to outbreaks within its own team or its opponents'. But, on multiple occasions, coach Geoff Collins spoke to the challenges of keeping a team safe in the midst of the pandemic.
"It is no small task, every single week, just to get to a college football game," Collins said Tuesday at his weekly news conference.
