Mountain West opts to cancel fall sports season

Nov 30, 2019; Reno, NV, USA; UNLV Rebels running back Charles Williams (8) rushes against the Nevada Wolf Pack at Mackay Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Calvert-USA TODAY Sports

The second FBS domino has fallen.

The Mountain West voted on Monday to cancel its fall 2020 football season due to COVID-19 health concerns, according to a report first had by The Stadium‘s Brett McMurphy.

This brings the number of FBS schools opting out of the 2020 fall season to 26 with more currently expected to join them in the coming days, including the Big Ten and Pac-12, who could reportedly announce cancellations as early as Tuesday.

While the eventual cancellation seemed like an inevitability over the weekend, some schools and administrators have pushed back against that on Monday coming out in support of the #WeWantToPlay movement started late Sunday on Twitter by some of college football’s most notable stars.

The Mountain West report also came shortly after ESPN published an article detailing a study that has gotten the attention of administrators across the country detailing heart issues people infected by COVID-19 have dealt with even after being cleared of the virus.

Iowa State was originally scheduled to play Mountain West member UNLV this fall, but it was announced late last week that game had been rescheduled for 2030.

This continues to be a developing story.

Jared Stansbury

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Jared a native of Clarinda, Iowa, started as the Cyclone Fanatic intern in August 2013, primarily working as a videographer until starting on the women’s basketball beat prior to the 2014-15 season. Upon earning his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Iowa State in May 2016, Jared was hired as the site’s full-time staff writer, taking over as the primary day-to-day reporter on football and men’s basketball. He was elevated to the position of managing editor in January 2020. He is a regular contributor on 1460 KXNO in Des Moines and makes regular guest appearances on radio stations across the Midwest. Jared resides in Ankeny with his four-year-old puggle, Lolo.

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