Washington State loses Sun Bowl opponent as Miami withdraws due to COVID-19 cases

Unless the Sun Bowl can find a replacement opponent in less than four days, that’s a wrap on Washington State’s 2021 season.

The University of Miami’s athletic department announced Sunday evening that its football team has withdrawn from its Friday postseason game against the Cougars in El Paso, Texas, because of “COVID-19 cases impacting our roster,” according to a release from UM.

“(The Hurricanes) do not have enough student-athletes to safely compete, and the health and safety of our student-athletes will always be our top priority,” Miami deputy director of athletics Jennifer Strawley said in a release from the school.

The Cougs arrived in El Paso at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, only to learn three hours later that they might be forced to conclude their memorable season in unsatisfying fashion.

The Sun Bowl is searching for a replacement to play the Cougars, according to a release from WSU’s athletic department and a tweet from coach Jake Dickert.

“Our team is in El Paso and willing to play any opponent,” Dickert wrote. “Our team just wants one more chance to finish this storied 2021 season.”

Memphis, SMU and East Carolina each had bowl games canceled in recent days because of COVID-19 issues affecting their opponents, but those three programs have reportedly decided to end their seasons.

Teams that already competed in bowl games aren’t eligible to replace UM either, per a report from The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy, who referenced a recent decision passed by the NCAA Football Oversight Committee.

As a result, the Sun Bowl’s search committee is expected to reach out to 5-7 programs with high Academic Progress Rate scores – teams that didn’t meet bowl eligibility standards on the field but performed well in the classroom.

The Hurricanes’ program entered COVID-19 protocols Tuesday. ESPN reported that multiple UM players across several position groups had tested positive, but the school announced Thursday that it still planned on fielding a team for the game – the team would arrive in El Paso the day before the game, however, instead of the day after Christmas.

“We are not absolutely positive they are going to come,” Sun Bowl executive director Bernie Olivas told ESPN, “but they have told us, and I believe them, they are doing everything they can to play.”