Maryland football’s season of uncertainty continued Thursday with the cancelation of the program’s Big Ten Champions Week game against Michigan State — potentially ending the Terrapins’ campaign.
Maryland announced Thursday that an additional 15 players and six staff members have tested positive between Dec. 10 and Dec. 16. Three more presumptive positive antigen tests were discovered Thursday morning, although PCR tests to confirm those results are pending.
As a result, the program has paused all team training activities and Saturday’s contest will not be rescheduled. Since testing began this summer, 154 Maryland athletes across all sports have contracted the virus out of roughly 550 athletes — about 28 percent of the population.
“This has been a season of promise and of adversity,” Terrapins coach Mike Locksley said in a statement. “Our team has demonstrated a tremendous work ethic, resolve and displayed Maryland pride throughout this unique season. We have battled two opponents each week, the team we matched up with on the field and COVID. Together, we experienced tremendous highs and we are deeply disappointed that we will not be able to test ourselves on the field against Michigan State.”
This is the second coronavirus outbreak the Terrapins have experienced this season. Last month, 30 players and staff members tested positive, prompting two games to be canceled — including one against the Spartans. Early this month, a coronavirus outbreak among Michigan’s program caused that game to be nixed, too.
With the latest schedule change, Maryland has had four games canceled this season. The five games the team has played is the fewest amount of any squad in the Big Ten; Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio State have also played five games, but those three teams are still set to compete this weekend.
Two other Big Ten contests have been canceled this week: matchups between Michigan and Iowa, and Indiana and Purdue.
At 2-3 overall, Maryland’s chances for a bid to a bowl game seems unlikely but is still possible — the NCAA waived win requirements for bowl games. A team spokesperson said there isn’t clarity on what might happen for the team beyond Saturday’s cancelation.
Maryland lost last week against Rutgers, 27-24 in overtime, without four key starters due to what the team described as medical reasons. Those absences were quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, linebackers Chance Campbell and Ruben Hyppolite, and defensive back Jakorian Bennett.
The team doesn’t identify players who test positive for the coronavirus, but Big Ten protocols state any player who contracts the virus must sit out of competition for 21 days. That would severely limit the number of players the Terrapins have available if they do receive a bowl game invitation.
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