UCLA-Utah Game Postponed Until Saturday

PASADENA, CA — The UCLA-Utah football game will be played at the Rose Bowl Saturday, one day later then originally planned, after the Pac-12 Conference granted the Utes' request to change the date.

Utah's planned season opener Saturday against Arizona was canceled Friday because it did not have the minimum number of scholarship players available because of a player testing positive for COVID-19 and resulting isolation of additional players under contact tracing protocols.

"We greatly appreciate the understanding and flexibility of UCLA, the Pac-12 and our conference television rights holders to consider the challenges we have been working through over the past several days with regard to our recent increases in positive COVID-19 cases within our football program," Utah Director of Athletics Mark Harlan said Sunday after the conference accepted the Utes' request for the date change.

"After two consecutive days of no positive COVID-19 test results we are encouraged that we can resume practice on Monday in preparation for this week's game at UCLA. We continue to rigorously reinforce all health and safety protocols related to the virus throughout our department."

The Pac-12 has established minimum thresholds to play a game. A team must have at least 53 scholarship players available to participate, including at least seven offensive linemen, one quarterback and four defensive linemen.

The UCLA-Utah game is set to begin at 7:30 p.m., the same time it was to start Friday, and be televised by Fox.