Texas A&M-Ole Miss postponed again, likely to not be played
COVID-19 concerns have forced Texas A&M’s scheduled football game against Ole Miss on Saturday at Kyle Field to be postponed — and likely canceled — the Southeastern Conference announced on Monday night.
The SEC announced via Twitter that the postponement is because of positive Coronavirus tests and contact tracing within the Ole Miss program.
A&M (7-1) is fifth in the College Football Playoff rankings and was hoping to enhance its postseason possibilities against Ole Miss (4-4).
It is the second time a scheduled A&M vs. Ole Miss game has been postponed. The Aggies and Rebels were originally scheduled to play on Nov. 21, but COVID issues at A&M forced the Aggies’ games against Ole Miss and Tennessee to be delayed.
Ole Miss, which was open last week, had a spike in positive tests halt all football-related activities until Wednesday of this week. Additional testing resulted in the postponement.
The game is not likely to be made up.
A&M is scheduled to complete its season at Tennessee on Dec. 19. Consequently, A&M would not play Ole Miss unless COVID-19 issues forced the cancellation of the game with Tennessee, which plays at Vanderbilt this Saturday.
“While we are extremely disappointed to miss the opportunity to play our last home game of the 2020 season and honor our senior class, we understood that any scenario throughout this public health crisis was a possibility,” Texas A&M Athletic Director Ross Bjork said in a statement released by the A&M Sports Information Department. “After completing eight games, our players, coaches, staff, and administration should be commended for setting the stage for a successful season and playing this great game as safely as possible. We cannot wait to get back on the field against Tennessee on December 19, and finish this season as strong as possible and continue to build our program under Coach Fisher’s leadership.”
A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said the Aggies will turn their attention to preparing for Tennessee (2-6).
“We’ve stressed throughout 2020, and it’s a great lesson about life, ‘control what you can control,’” Fisher said in the release. “It’s unfortunate we are unable to play Ole Miss this week. I feel for our seniors who were looking forward to being recognized and playing at Kyle Field. We will go back to work controlling what we can, and that is preparing to play Tennessee next week.”