ST. JOSEPH, MO – The Missouri Western football game scheduled for this Saturday, November 21st at the University of Nebraska-Kearney has been canceled due to COVID-19. The Griffons do not have enough available student-athletes at one position group that would allow the game to be played safely.
The contest between the Griffons and Lopers was set to be the final game of a modified fall football season. Griffon Football will now break until 2021 with the University's fall academic semester concluding next week. Missouri Western, Nebraska-Kearney and Pittsburg State partnered to form an alliance that allowed the three Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association members to play a partial 2020 schedule that began in late October.
Missouri Western football's amount of positive tests have remained incredibly low all season, with just three positive tests among active student-athletes this week and an overall average of approximately 2% since mandatory weekly testing began in early October.
"We chose to cancel Saturday's game simply for safety," said MWSU vice president for intercollegiate athletics Dr. Josh Looney. "This is a result of prior injuries combined with the three positive student-athlete tests along with the ripple-effect of contact tracing and subsequent quarantining of individuals within a position group. The health and safety of our student-athletes will always be prioritized as we navigate protocols associated with this pandemic."
Griffon Football is expected to announce its plans for modified spring 2021 competition in the coming weeks, including an additional home appearance at Spratt Stadium.