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UConn becomes first FBS team to cancel its football season

Aug. 05, 2020 12:53PM EST
 Dan Ackermann

The University of Connecticut announced Wednesday that it is cancelling its football program for the upcoming school year, citing concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.

Why it matters: It's the first FBS program to back out of this year's season — and it could be just the first domino to fall among other major programs.

What they're saying: "The safety challenges created by COVID-19 place our football student-athletes at an unacceptable level of risk," said UConn athletics director David Benedict in a news release.

  • "The necessary measures needed to mitigate risk of football student-athletes contracting the coronavirus are not conducive to delivering an optimal experience for our team."
  • "Ultimately, the student-athletes would rather preserve their year of eligibility with an eye to competing under more typical circumstances during the 2021 season."  

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