Tracking College Basketball's Opening Week Postponements and Cancellations

College basketball's opening night will be missing its marquee game due to Baylor's withdrawing from the Empire Classic.

Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports

College basketball's opening night will be missing its marquee game after Baylor withdrew from the Empire Classic.

Head coach Scott Drew confirmed to CBS Sports that the No. 2 ranked Bears will not travel to the event at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. Baylor was scheduled to play No. 18 Arizona State on Wednesday. However, ESPN reported Monday morning that Arizona State had pulled out from the Empire Classic after Drew tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday.

Drew announced his positive test on Sunday and said his team still planned to play its season opener against Arizona State. The coach said everyone else in the program tested negative on Friday and Sunday and would be tested again early this week. 

The Empire Classic was scheduled as a four-team event that included Baylor, Arizona State, No. 3 Villanova and Boston College. CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein reports that a fourth unknown team will possibly replace Baylor, and the other three programs will remain in the event.

Florida also withdrew from a separate event at Mohegan Sun on Sunday after members of its program tested positive for COVID-19. The Gators' highly anticipated game against No. 4 Virginia on Friday was canceled, as well as their matchup against UMass-Lowell on Wednesday.

The Mohegan Sun is set to host more than 30 basketball teams and 40 games from Nov. 25-Dec. 5 in "Bubbleville" after several events were relocated due to the pandemic. Oregon was among the teams set to play non-conference games in the bubble, but according to Rothstein, the Ducks will pull out of the event and stay closer to home due to the virus.

Meanwhile, Tennessee announced on Monday that it will pause all basketball activities following multiple positive COVID-19 test results within the program, including coach Rick Barnes and athletic director Phillip Fulmer. The Vols aim to resume activities Dec. 5 ahead of their Dec. 12 game against Cincinnati.

Tennessee will not travel to the Jimmy V Classic in Indianapolis next week. West Virginia will replace the Vols in the event and face Gonzaga on Dec. 2.

Other games and events, including the Justin Reed Ole Miss Classic, have been canceled this week. This list will be updated as game schedules change.

SEC Games:

• Florida @ UMass-Lowell: The Nov. 25 game has been canceled due to COVID-19 cases and contact tracing protocols within the Gators' program. The Gators have paused basketball activities at this time.
• Florida vs. Virginia: The Nov. 27 game at the Mohegan Sun was also canceled.
• Memphis @ Ole Miss: The Dec. 5 game has been canceled due to COVID-19 issues within the Rebels' program.
• Gonzaga vs. Tennessee: The Vols will not travel to Indianapolis for the Jimmy V Classic while team activities are paused. They were set to play top-ranked Gonzaga on Dec. 2.
• Tennessee @ Notre Dame: Tennessee will not play the Fighting Irish on Dec. 4. The game was reported but never officially announced due to the contract not yet being finalized.

ACC Games:

• Gardner-Webb @ Duke: The Nov. 25 game has been postponed following a positive COVID-19 test within the Gardner-Webb program. Duke will now open its season at home vs. Coppin State on Nov. 28.
• Gardner-Webb @ Florida State: The Nov. 27 game has been postponed following Gardner-Webb's COVID-19 issues. The teams will look to make up the game at a later date should schedules permit.
• Maine vs. Virginia: Maine reportedly has pulled out of Bubbleville at the Mohegan Sun due to a positive COVID-19 test with its program. The two teams were set to play on Nov. 25.

Big 12 Games:

• Baylor at Seton Hall: The two teams agreed to cancel their Nov. 29 game due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• UTSA vs. Oklahoma: The Nov. 25 game reportedly has been canceled due to positive COVID-19 tests within the Sooners' program.
• Oklahoma vs. UCF: The Nov. 28 game reportedly was canceled as well.

Pac-12 Games:

• Northern Arizona @ Arizona: The Nov. 25 game has been postponed due to a positive COVID-19 test within NAU's program.
• Utah Valley @ Stanford: Stanford's season opener against Utah Valley on Nov. 25 has been canceled following a positive COVID-19 test, and subsequent contact tracing, within the Wolverines' program. Under conference policy, the game will be declared a no contest.

Big Ten:

• Drexel @ Penn State: The Nittany Lions' season opener on Nov. 25 reportedly has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Big East Games: 

• Butler announced it had a positive test after its season-opening win over Western Michigan on Wednesday. Their Sunday game against Eastern Illinois is postponed.  

American Athletic Games:

• Temple announced the team will undergo a 14-day quarantine after positive COVID-19 tests within the program, and the individual who tested positive will go into isolation for 10 days. The Owls previously had games scheduled against Virginia Tech, No. 3 Villanova and La Salle over the next two weeks.

Volunteer Classic: Tennessee canceled the multi-team event due to multiple positive COVID-19 tests within its program. Games included Charlotte vs. Tennessee, Charlotte vs. VCU and VCU vs. Tennessee.

Justin Reed Ole Miss Classic: The event has been canceled due to positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing within Ole Miss' program. In addition to the Rebels, it was set to include Arkansas State, Central Arkansas and Jackson State.