SEC Announces Game Cancellation Policies

This weekend Charlotte cancelled its football game with North Carolina due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. The 49ers reported that they did not have enough offensive lineman to compete against the Tar Heels and therefore had to cancel. This was not the only game impacted by cancellations or postponements, Virginia and Virginia Tech and Army and BYU were just two other games coming to mind to be impacted in the last two weeks by COVID-19 procedures.

The SEC kicks off its season in eight days and with COVID-19 in mind, just how many players does a program have to be missing in order to cancel its game? How will a game impacted by COVID-19 be scored in the wins and losses column? Today the SEC made its decision on those matters.

A school must have at minimum 53 scholarship players in order to participate in a football game. The NCAA scholarship limit is 85 players. Additionally the schools must have at minimum one scholarship quarterback, seven scholarship offensive linemen and four scholarship defensive linemen in order to participate in games. Should a school fall under these thresholds the game can be cancelled and called a no-contest.

Programs can still opt to play if it does not have the minimum players available if it so chooses.

Programs can petition the conference to reschedule or ask for a no contest ruling if the program presents compelling data as to why the game cannot be played as originally scheduled. The final decision for rescheduling and for determining if a game can be considered a no contest lies solely with Commissioner Greg Sankey.