Commonwealth Cup postponed due to COVID-19 issues at Virginia Tech | Sports
Next Saturday’s season-opening Commonwealth Cup has been postponed due to COVID-19 issues at Virginia Tech, both schools announced Saturday morning.
No makeup date for the game, which was slated to air in prime time on ABC, was immediately given.
Virginia Tech also announced that it will pause its football practices for four days to address its coronavirus issues.
“The safety, as well as the physical and mental well-being of these young men and women entrusted to our care by their families remains our top priority,” Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock said in a statement. “While we share the disappointment of everyone who hoped to begin the football season against our in-state rival, we remain optimistic that a full ACC football schedule can be played thanks to the flexibility the present format permits. Despite this delay, our schedule still aligns closely with the Southeastern Conference and Big 12 football timelines.”
Virginia, which had a scheduled bye week following the Virginia Tech game, will now open its season on Oct. 3 at Clemson.
“These are very challenging times. We understand and respect the decision by Virginia Tech,” Virginia director of athletics Carla Williams said in a statement. “With so much uncertainty, flexibility in scheduling becomes incredibly important. I know both teams and both fan bases were looking forward to opening the season next weekend. We’ll work with the conference and Virginia Tech to reschedule.”
