Washington announced on Friday that it will not pursue a bowl bid due to medical reasons.
“I’m truly disappointed for our players, coaches and staff who dedicated themselves to this very challenging season,” Washington athletic director Jennifer Cohen said. “The last 10 days we have made every effort, including pausing all football-related activities and continued aggressive testing protocols, to be able to have our team ready to return to the field. However, with the number of positive cases, specifically at the offensive line position, we will not have a team ready for competition due to our comprehensive return-to-play medical protocols.”
The Huskies (3-1) had to cancel their last game against Oregon and were replaced by the Ducks as the Pac-12 North representative in Friday night’s Pac-12 championship game. Washington said it was unable to field the 53 scholarship players needed to play because of positive cases for COVID-19 and the related contact-tracing protocols.
Huskies coach Jimmy Lake said on Monday that the entire offensive line, including walk-ons, was unavailable and the team had not practiced since last Wednesday.
“Our guys have given up so much this season,” Lake said. “I would like to thank them for how they have handled everything. I would also like to give special recognition to our seniors who poured so much into this program, we are so proud of them for everything they have accomplished on and off the field.”