Nebraska Football: Wisconsin Game Scheduled for Saturday Has Been Cancelled

Going into this season we asked ourselves would Nebraska end up playing the entire nine game schedule. Well that question ended up being answered today as the game against Wisconsin has been cancelled as a result of COVID-19 spread throughout the Wisconsin football program

The spread of the virus has forced Wisconsin to pause all football related activities for seven days.

When Graham Mertz reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 it was a surprise. Then when his back-up Chase Wolf also tested positive the concern that there would actually be a football game became real.

Well it is now official.

We hope that all of the Wisconsin coaches and player stay safe. One thing is for sure is that this spread would never have happened if Nebraska didn’t want to play football.

Wisconsin Football pauses team activities

Rising numbers of COVID-19 cases causes cancellation of Nebraska game

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin football team will pause all team-related activities for at least seven days due to an elevated number of COVID-19 cases within the Badgers program.

The team’s scheduled game against Nebraska on Saturday will not be played.

The joint decision to pause football activities and cancel Saturday’s game was made by Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez and UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank, in consultation with the Big Ten Conference. The game will not be rescheduled.

“We have said from the beginning that the health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches and staff members comes first,” Alvarez said. “Over the past several days we have seen a rising number of student-athletes and staff contract the virus. The responsible thing for us to do is to pause football-related activities for at least seven days.”

“We thank and appreciate our athletic trainers, doctors and public health staff who are supporting the health and safety of our student-athletes and program,” said Blank.

As of Wednesday morning (Oct. 28), a total of 12 people within the Wisconsin football program had tested positive for COVID-19 in the past five days. That figure includes six student-athletes and six staff members, including head coach Paul Chryst. Additional test results are pending.

“This morning I received the news that I had tested positive via a PCR test I took yesterday,” Chryst said. “I informed my staff and the team this morning and am currently isolating at home. I had not been experiencing any symptoms and feel good as of this morning.

“I am disappointed for our players and coaching staff who put so much into preparing to play each week. But the safety of everyone in our program has to be our top priority and I support the decision made to pause our team activities.”

Wisconsin’s next scheduled game is at home against Purdue on Nov. 7.