Virginia delays arrival to Fenway Bowl due to COVID-19
Virginia is delaying its arrival in Boston for the Fenway Bowl due to COVID-19, the program announced on Friday afternoon.
The Cavaliers were initially set to leave on Christmas day. However, they’re now scheduled to depart on Dec. 26 as they await test results.
Breaking:#UVA announces the Cavalier football team’s travel to Boston for the Fenway Bowl has been rescheduled for Dec. 26 while awaiting results from COVID-19 testing to be completed.
The team was originally scheduled to depart Charlottesville the afternoon of Dec. 25.
— Jacquie Franciulli (@JacquieFran_) December 24, 2021
Arriving later-than-expected has become a common tactic for teams during bowl season as they attempt to navigate another wave of COVID-19. Issues with the virus have increased throughout the United States over the last couple weeks.
Virginia is a slight favorite in its Fenway Bowl matchup vs. SMU. The Cavaliers will be playing their final game with coach Bronco Mendenhall, who is stepping down after the bowl game.
Quarterback Brennan Armstrong also has a lot on the line in this game. Armstrong enters the postseason with 4,444 yards this season, which is fourth in ACC history for a single season.
He needs just 150 passing yards to break Deshaun Watson’s single-season record, which has stood since 2016. Armstrong would also pass Matt Ryan and Phillip Rivers on the single-season leaderboard.
If the game proceeds as scheduled, it will kick off at 11 a.m. ET on Dec. 29.