The Texas A&M Aggies will not be available to play in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl due to not having enough players as a result of a COVID outbreak. This news was first reported by Ross Dellenger; the Gator Bowl committee will now search for a replacement bowl team. Unfortunately, college football now deals with its latest challenge regarding the Omicron variant, and it’s during bowl season.
Where did these issues start?
Bowl cancellations were a regularity last year; 17 bowl games were removed, and 22 teams opted out of bowl games. Texas A&M had been facing issues with COVID since last week, and all in-person activities were halted since Sunday due to the recent breakout. However, Wake Forest did not face any known issues with the pandemic and had practiced as planned.
Texas A&M’s vaccinated players were primarily the ones impacted by the outbreak. For this reason, teams such as Alabama and Michigan have chosen to give their players the booster shot. It is understandable that these squads chose to act quickly due to both teams’ presence in the CFB Playoff; in all honesty, Wake Forest could be facing similar issues as Texas A&M, we don’t know the Demon Deacons’ testing protocols.
How Should Texas A&M progress?
Following the actions of Alabama and Michigan would be a great way for Texas A&M to solve its issue. The Aggies had a great month thus far by bringing in the top recruiting class, but this outbreak could set them back. Now, Texas A&M must ensure that its players are healthy and ready to practice for the spring instead of the Gator Bowl.
Bowl cancellation could occur for other teams over the next week; it’s unlikely that the Aggies are the only squad that faces this problem. College football will now have to evaluate the plan for the postseason, and that could lead to similar protocols as last year.
