Advertisement

Army-BYU joins list of Week 3 games postponed due to COVID-19 cases

Another Week 3 game has been postponed.

BYU announced that its game at Army next Saturday has been postponed due to “a small number of positive COVID-19 test results and the resulting tracing exposures within the BYU football program.” BYU said the decision was reached mutually with Army and that the schools will attempt to reschedule the game.

“We appreciate the university administration, state health officials and a variety of medical experts who have helped us navigate these unprecedented times,” said BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe. “While we share the disappointment of everyone involved in the game between BYU and Army, safety as well as the physical and mental well-being of our student-athletes, coaches, staff and the opposing team is our top priority.”

Added Army in a media release: “The Black Knights appreciate the communication from the Cougars as they deal with health issues and both sides will work to find a future date that works for both schools in the hopes of rescheduling the contest.”

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake reacts with his team during the first half of an NCAA college football game against the Navy, Monday, Sept. 7, 2020, in Annapolis, Md. (AP Photo/Tommy Gilligan)
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake reacts with his team during the first half of an NCAA college football game against the Navy, Monday, Sept. 7, 2020, in Annapolis, Md. (AP Photo/Tommy Gilligan)

It’s a tough blow for BYU, which had its schedule essentially wiped out by the scheduling issues with conferences around the country. A few late adds, including the Army game, built the schedule up to eight games. That schedule kicked off last week in a decisive 55-3 road win over Navy.

Instead of traveling to West Point, BYU said it will “conduct small-group workouts next week until cleared to resume full-team practices.” The next game on BYU’s schedule is against Troy on Sept. 26 in Provo.

Army improved to 2-0 with a blowout win over UL Monroe on Saturday. The Black Knights will return to the field on the road against Cincinnati on Sept. 26. Army, like BYU, lost several games from its original schedule but managed to put together a 12-game slate. With the BYU game off the books for now, it’s down to 11.

The BYU-Army game is the third game scheduled for the weekend of Sept. 19 to be postponed due to COVID-19 cases. It joins the Virginia vs. Virginia Tech and Memphis vs. Houston games.

More from Yahoo Sports: