UConn Becomes First FBS School To Cancel Football Season Due to COVID-19

UConn is the first FBS team to cancel its 2020 season due to the ongoing pandemic.

Connecticut announced plans to cancel its 2020 football season due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in the United States. 

UConn went 2–10 last season in the American Athletic Conference and was rejoining the Big East for all sports except football, men's and women's ice hockey and rowing.

"After receiving guidance from state and public health officials and consulting with football student-athletes, we've decided that we will not compete on the gridiron this season," athletic director David Benedict said in a statement. "The safety challenges created by COVID-19 place our football student-athletes at an unacceptable level of risk."

The upcoming season's schedule included games against Indiana, Maine and Mississippi that were canceled due to each respective conference's decision on league play. 

UConn's athletes have been on campus since early July and recorded no positive tests for COVID-19.

"As a team we are in full support of the decision to not compete in 2020," the football players said in a joint statement. "We have many health concerns and not enough is known about the potential long term effects of contracting COVID-19. Additionally, we have not had the optimal time to train mentally & physically to be properly prepared to compete this season. We love this game and love competing. We came to campus in the beginning of July knowing there would be challenges presented by the pandemic but it is apparent to us now that these challenges are impossible to overcome."