The Miami football program is out of the Sun Bowl due to Covid protocols as announced on Sunday night. Miami pushed back its original arrival that was scheduled for Sunday and was going to arrive in El Paso on Thursday. Miami and Washington State were scheduled to kick off at noon eastern time on Friday.
Miami is the third ACC team to pull out of a bowl game and the fourth impacted by a team that had to withdraw because of Covid protocols. Boston College withdrew from the Military Bowl that was scheduled to be played on Monday. Virginia pulled out of the Fenway Bowl against SMU.
Wake Forest was scheduled to play Texas A&M in the Gator Bowl on Friday with an 11:00 AM kickoff. The Aggies have been replaced by Rutgers. This is the first season since 2012 when Miami was on probation that they will not play in a bowl game. Miami has previously played in the Sun Bowl twice.
The canceled game has to be a disappointment for the seniors who have now played their last game for Miami and freshman quarterback Tyler Van Dyke. Van Dyke was four touchdown passes away from tying Steve Walsh for the Miami single-season record set in 1988. Miami ends the 2021 season with a 7-5 record.
Miami Athletics announced Sunday that its football team will be unable to participate in the 2021 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl against Washington State due to COVID-19 protocols. pic.twitter.com/LeDTHsfWjK
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) December 27, 2021
The Hurricanes won five of their final six games. Miami loses a chance to win its first bowl game since 2016. The Hurricanes defeated West Virginia 31-14 in the 2016 Champs Sports Bowl to finish 9-4 in the first of three seasons under Mark Richt. Miami is 19-22 all-time in bowl games.
The Hurricanes will now focus on recruiting under new head coach Mario Cristobal. Cristobal loses a chance to evaluate his roster of returning players for next season. Led by Cristobal, Oregon defeated Washington State 38-24 this season. It has not been reported how many players were tested positive for Covid.
No information was available which is any positions were affected more by the Covid protocols than others. Miami had a three-week hiatus during the 2020 season because of a breakout of Covid. The Hurricanes resumed the season with two regular-season games a Cheez-It Bowl loss to Oklahoma State.