SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KNX) — Hours before kickoff Tuesday, the UCLA Bruins football team pulled out of the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl, due to COVID-19 protocols within the Bruins’ program.
UCLA shared the news on twitter, with Athletic Director Martin Jarmond saying the department is grateful to the Holiday Bowl, students, sponsor and fans for all of their support this week.
“We are deeply disappointed for our young men in the football program that worked extremely hard for this opportunity,” Jarmond said in a statement. “My heart goes out to them. The health and safety of our students will always be our North Star.”
The Bruins were set to square off against North Carolina State University. The game would have been the Bruins' first bowl appearance in four years.
"UCLA's statement makes it very clear that their inability to play was due to the protocols in place and not the virus itself," Bowl Season Executive Director Nick Carparelli said in a text message to ESPN.
"I feel bad for both teams as well as the great people at the Holiday Bowl who worked so hard all year long for today. This continues to be a very sad and frustrating situation."
The news of the Bruins withdrawal from the Tuesday game came hours after UCLA Gymnastics shared similar news — saying that, under advisement of UCLA Sports Medicine, the team will not be competing in Anaheim next week.
“The UCLA Gymnastics team will be unable to compete in teh Collegiate Challenge in Anaheim on Jan. 8 due to COVID-19 protocols within the Bruin program,” the program said in a statement.
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