For the first time this season, an FBS college football game has been postponed due to COVID-19 issues.
Saturday's game between Cal and USC has reportedly been called off because of positive COVID-19 test results within the Cal program, the school announced Tuesday. The announcement comes days after the Bears were forced to play against Arizona with two dozen players sidelined after testing positive for the virus.
The news was originally reported by Jon Wilner of The Mercury News. The game has been rescheduled for Dec. 4, per a school statement.
Cal said it has asked the Pac-12 to reschedule the game for later in the season. The only open date for either team going forward would be the first weekend of December, when the conference championship will be held. If the game cannot be rescheduled, it would likely be declared a win for the Trojans.
Cal operates under more stringent COVID-19 protocols under the City of Berkeley than other conference schools. Those protocols have drawn the ire of Cal players, most notably starting quarterback Chase Garbers, who was among the group that was sidelined for the team's 10-3 loss to Arizona.
The Pac-12's COVID-19 protocols state that teams that cause game cancellations due to COVID-19 will be forced to forfeit, though the commissioner retains discretion to determine "whether an institution is at fault or primarily at fault for an instability to play a contest based on the facts of the situation."
Cal is 3-6 (2-4) and in fifth place in the Pac-12 North, while USC is 4-5 (3-4) and in fourth in the South division.
