Wow. Just wow.
Yesterday, in more ways than one, feels like a blur. With no new info coming by 2pm, we actually had a graphic and article about how “The Bowl Game is On!” Seriously, that’s when you know there are late decisions, when you are feeling comfortable in the fact that, “They can’t cancel it now, right?”
Well, they did. Here’s everything that happened and what we know.
Updates: Bowl officials declared Holiday Bowl Canceled. But State is bring that trophy home with them.
Timeline
We’ll make this condensed, since many have been following along closely.
- State arrived in San Diego on 12/23. One week after signing day, five days prior to the Bowl Game. They had spent previous days prior to travel at the State training facility prepping.
- UCLA arrived in San Diego on Xmas Eve.
- There were known Covid cases within the UCLA program, as Chip Kelly stepped up to the podium and declared, “Our whole mindset’s always been, if we’ve got 11, we’re going to go play.” The weekend before the game, their leading tackler and four other members were declared out. What should also be noted, UCLA Athletics was getting hit HARD by Covid. Both basketball programs postponed for weeks of games because of issues. The University knew it had a large scale outbreak on campus.
- Which makes it even more frustrating, is that the UCLA football team continued “normal” bowl festivities. At no point, did they have full team quarantine or took on a more regimented schedule. Again, Chip Kelly, talked about taken every effort to contain and make sure this game was played…this was not the case.
- Kelly said that their team would retest on Monday night/Tuesday morning. They dropped out past noon (local time) Tuesday.
- While Thayer Thomas tweeted about a team meeting and vote, we have yet to confirm that story with anybody else. Would have to think, UCLA players would have played. Lots of info suggests this was a coaches/admin decision.
- Update from Pack Pride…UCLA was packing up equipment two hours before State was notified.
We are not mad that UCLA dropped out with Covid issues. We are outraged, that by many accounts, the magnitude of their outbreak was withheld from just about every other party. To give some reference, ECU was told by Boston College’s AD that they were having issues THREE DAYS prior to the Eagles dropping out. From Boo, Doeren or other staff members we talked to, all confirmed that they knew UCLA had positive test but at no point did they feel as though it was at the point where the bowl game would be canceled.
Logistics of a New Team
We received multiple tweets and DMs talking about, “Well how come they just can’t play _____” or “Just find an opponent already.”
The logistics are so far more complicated than, “Just find someone.”
- You can’t just play ECU (or any school) at Carter-Finley. It would need to be a true Bowl game. So please stop thinking we can just bring State home and play.
- Realize that when a team comes to play, it involves; Flights, Hotel, Food and other needs for players, coaches, medical/training staff, and other members of the Athletic Department. We’re talking dozens upon dozens of rooms and flights. Remember how hard it was to find flights three weeks ago for this game? Now imagine it in a 24-hour window for a chartered plan.
- Speaking of window, State also has all the above problems. How long can they stay in San Diego? Do they even want to be there longer? We’ve heard that a decision will be made by Wednesday afternoon on next steps.
- Now with the short timeframe, you almost have to eliminate all those 5-7 teams. You think a team is going to just assemble players from across the country that are home for holidays…get them to San Diego…and play a college game with little to no practice? Absolutely not. Doeren feared for the safety of his own QB and blitz packages of a new opponent. Now go from unprepared QB, to unprepared team.
- Just a reminder, Holiday Bowl is the farthest western location outside of Hawaii Bowl. We aren’t talking about East Coast teams jumping down to Jacksonville. We’re talking hauling all the way across country. Again, especially in this timeframe and lack of available planes, this isn’t good.
Working Long Hours
It’s been confirmed that Boo and company have talked with about a dozen schools. Financials, timeframe and just a mess of logistics have hampered an opportunity. If UCLA would have giving State the timeline that BC gave to UCLA, Central Michigan and Wash State both were looking for opponents and were in the Southwest US…
The Bowl Committee has been actively working with State. Can guarantee you, they were pulling all-nighters scratching and clawing for answers of what to do next.
We will all know very, very soon what happens next.
