The University of South Alabama and Troy University on Tuesday announced that Saturday’s football game has been postponed.
A release from South Alabama said the postponement was made, “Due to precautionary measures concerning the availability of student-athletes.”
A separate release from Troy advised the decision was reached, “Due to South Alabama pausing its football workouts because of COVID-19.”
The teams face each other annually in the “Battle For The Belt,” an in-state rivalry game. Troy won last season’s matchup 37-13.
Both programs are members of the Sun Belt Conference, which will work with them to try and find a mutually agreeable date to reschedule the game later this year.
The South Alabama Jaguars are next scheduled to play Texas State on October 17 at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile. South Alabama is still seeking its first ever win at the new venue.
“This postponement is unfortunate, however it’s prudent and wise. Our most significant concern is the well-being of our student-athletes,” University of South Alabama director of athletics Joel Erdmann said in a statement. “We are looking forward to hosting Troy at Hancock Whitney Stadium at a date to be determined. We appreciate the collaboration and understanding of Troy, and the leadership of the Sun Belt Conference office in working through this situation.”
Meanwhile, the Trojans are set to face Texas State on October 10 at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Troy; kickoff is set for 11:00 a.m. local time, with the game being televised on ESPN 2.
“We are obviously disappointed for our team but certainly respect this decision,” Troy University director of athletics Brent Jones stated. “This is a tremendous rivalry game for both teams and fan bases, and I appreciate South Alabama Athletics Director Joel Erdmann and the Sun Belt Conference for their open lines of communication during this process. We look forward to welcoming our great fans back to The Vet on Oct. 10 when we host Texas State in our home opener.”
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
