ASU Football Game Canceled, Coach Herm Edwards Has Coronavirus

TEMPE, AZ —Multiple Arizona State University football players and staff members have tested positive for the coronavirus, including Coach Herm Edwards, university officials said.

A statement from ASU's Vice President for Athletics Ray Anderson confirmed the positive tests and said that Saturday's game against the University of California would be canceled.

"We have had to invoke the Pac-12's football game cancellation policy for this week's game," Anderson said. "The cancellation of a game is very difficult to accept for all of us, but it is the right decision under the circumstances. In every case we continue to consider the health, safety and welfare of our student-athletes as our number one priority."

The Pac-12 requires a minimum of 53 available scholarship student athletes, and the positive tests put ASU below the threshold to play.

Anderson said everyone who has tested positive is currently in isolation and receiving medical care. The university is also conducting contact tracing to help curb the spread of the virus.

Edwards, who has been the team's head coach since 2018, confirmed he had tested positive for the virus but said he and his family are doing well.

"Even with the marvelous care our medical professionals have provided for myself, my staff and my team over the past few months the virus still found me," Edwards, 66, said in the statement. "So, I encourage all of you to take this virus seriously, to wear a mask, practice physical distancing and get tested whenever possible."

ASU's most recent coronavirus data revealed that 37 staff members and 405 students had tested positive for the virus. The previous update reported 252 positive cases among the student body. The university said that 95 students are currently in isolation on the Tempe campus.

The ASU football team last played a game against the University of Southern California on Nov. 7, losing 28-27. It is unclear whether or not the school's next game against Colorado on Nov. 21 is up in the air.