Holiday Bowl timeline: Details of days, hours before NC State, UCLA game was canceled
How exactly did we get here?
Hours before kickoff Tuesday, UCLA announced it was unable to play in the Holiday Bowl. Unlike several teams that never even arrived at bowl sites because of COVID issues, the Bruins and their opponent, N.C. State, were both in town and made it to game day.
“It was unreal, a little bit,” Wolfpack linebacker Drake Thomas said. “You figure you get through the whole week, you’re going to play. You wake up on game day, you’re getting ready to go eat pregame meal, it’s set in stone you’re playing.”
Just the day before, UCLA head coach Chip Kelly addressed what his team was going through with COVID, but vowed the Bruins would make the best effort to suit up.
“Our whole mindset’s always been, if we’ve got 11, we’re going to go play,” Kelly said.
But a person with direct knowledge of UCLA’s situation said the Bruins received positive COVID test results of symptomatic players Tuesday morning. As with N.C. State at the College World Series, the additional positive tests created contact-tracing issues for other unvaccinated players.
UCLA’s doctors at that point determined that UCLA no longer had enough defensive linemen to safely play — and UCLA would not have been able to play under the guidelines the Pac-12 used in 2020.
Before bowl preparations started in San Diego, UCLA started wearing facemasks indoors again and moved meetings outdoors after ruling out one key player after a positive COVID test, according to the Los Angeles Times. The team also chartered extra buses while in San Diego.
Here’s how things developed:
Friday, Dec. 24: UCLA arrives in San Diego with the COVID cloud already looming over the program. The L.A. Times reported that defensive back Qwuantrezz Knight wouldn’t play in the game after testing positive for COVID-19. According to the report, there were other players also waiting on COVID-19 results. Both teams visited the San Diego Zoo that day.
Saturday, Dec. 25: On Christmas Day, UCLA went to SeaWorld at 12:45 p.m. local time. N.C. State went an hour later.
Sunday, Dec. 26: UCLA visits the USS Makin Island. N.C. State went that day as well.
Monday, Dec. 27: Both coaches hold press conferences at Petco Park after N.C. State’s players visited the stadium to see the field. UCLA did not. Kelly was asked about COVID testing: “If someone comes out with symptoms later on this afternoon, they’ll be tested. We will test kids up until game time, so we don’t have any final numbers. Our unvaccinated kids get tested earlier in the week. Anyone who has any symptoms will get tested once they report symptoms.”
Tuesday, Dec. 28, 11 a.m. PT: As UCLA administrators mingled with alumni and boosters at a pregame brunch at the team hotel, the school received positive COVID test results from several symptomatic players, particularly on the defensive line.
Tuesday, Dec. 29, noon PT: Bruins players were told at a team meeting they would not be able to play that evening.
Tuesday, 12:15 p.m. PT: Fox Sports reporter Bruce Feldman, citing sources, posted on Twitter that the game, scheduled for a 4:30 p.m. local kickoff, will be canceled.
Tuesday, 12:33 p.m. PT: UCLA announced the Bruins would not be able to participate in the Holiday Bowl because of COVID-19 protocols within their program.
Tuesday, 12:38 p.m. PT: UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond posted a statement on Twitter: “We are deeply disappointed for our young men in the football program who worked so hard for this opportunity. My heart goes out to them. The health and safety of our students will always be our North Star.”
Tuesday: 12:51 p.m. PT: N.C. State coach Dave Doeren, athletic director Boo Corrigan and linebacker Drake Thomas meet with the media at the team hotel. “We were prepared to play this game,” Doeren said. “Our opponent was not, apparently.”
Tuesday, 1:53 p.m. PT: N.C. State receiver Thayer Thomas, in a tweet, accuses UCLA’s players of voting not to play. UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson responded an hour later: “we are still here in this hotel, if it was up to the players we can play y’all in the parking lot for all we care.”
Tuesday, 3:28 p.m. PT: Jarmond posts again on Twitter: “With today’s COVID results, our medical staff deemed it unsafe for us to compete this evening. While we had isolated COVID challenges, we were still in a position to compete up until today.”
Tuesday, 6:22 p.m. PT: Corrigan tells the N&O that despite talking to “north of 10 teams,” efforts to find a replacement team in a realistic time window have failed: “We can’t find anyone.”
Tuesday, 6:42 p.m. PT: Holiday Bowl CEO Mark Neville issued a statement: “The entire SDCCU Holiday Bowl family is heartbroken that we were not able to play the bowl game tonight. We do not want to cancel the game officially until we have exhausted every opportunity to find a replacement team, and we are working closely with Boo Corrigan and his great athletics staff at N.C. State.”
Wednesday, 7:34 a.m. PT: Holiday Bowl announces game is officially canceled. N.C. State receives bowl trophy at team hotel. Wolfpack, defying ACC and NCAA, announces it will claim a 10th win by forfeit.
This story was originally published December 29, 2021 at 7:47 PM.