New Mexico Will Not Be Traveling To Play Colorado State
The opener will be considered a no-contest
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New Mexico can not travel for opener.
The Mountain West has not even played a game at this season but its first game has already been canceled. New Mexico athletics director Eddie Nunez announced during a media call that the Lobos can not travel to play Colorado State due to restrictions from the state of New Mexico.
New Mexico AD Eddie Nuñez just announced that the Lobos will not be traveling to play its opener against Colorado State.
"Due to direction of state officials, we’ll not be traveling to Col State and compete."
— Mountain West Wire (@MWCwire) October 20, 2020
This is not too surprising as the Lobos had to stop practices late last week when eight players and one coach tested positive for COVID-19 and add that to the state restrictions that have been fairly tight.
Nunez did go onto say that “I believe we could play but with the restrictions and what’s happening around us, it makes it difficult to do so.”
There was thought that the Lobos could travel since the local soccer club New Mexico United had been able to play its season through this week as it ended in the playoffs. However, traveling a football team that can consist of at least 100 people is a lot more difficult than a soccer team that travels with about a third of that amount.
Both teams had issues going into this game with Lobos practicing in small groups and Colorado State dealing with air quality due to fires in the area.
2020 MWC Football opening weekend
• CSU = Down "20s of players per practice", some in new positions to make due, air quality issues from wildfires
• UNM = no practice since last Wednesday, 9 players out w/ COVID, workouts can't exceed groups of 5
• Kickoff is 7 pm Saturday
— Geoff Grammer (@GeoffGrammer) October 20, 2020
The Mountain West has declared this game a no contest and they have no plans to reschedule this matchup.
