MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 09: Head coach P.J. Fleck of the Minnesota Golden Gophers and his team take the field against the Penn State Nittany Lions at TCFBank Stadium on November 9, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)The Big Ten’s 2020 season schedule has suffered yet another casualty because of the pandemic.
The Northwestern Wildcats – the Big Ten West’s first-place team – were gearing up this week to take on the 2-3 Minnesota Golden Gophers this Saturday. There’s since been a change to the schedule.
Northwestern at Minnesota has been cancelled. This is the second-straight week the Golden Gophers have had to cancel on an opponent. Minnesota’s contest versus Wisconsin last weekend was also cancelled.
The Golden Gophers have experienced a COVID-19 outbreak. Since Nov. 19, “the program has experienced 47 positive case,” per Matt Fortune of The Athletic.
Source: Saturday’s Northwestern-Minnesota game is canceled. @ESPNRittenberg had it first.
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) November 30, 2020
Northwestern will have to wait another week to try and bounce back from its first loss of the season. The Wildcats lost in stunning fashion to the Michigan State Spartans last Saturday, spoiling their perfect season in the process.
Northwestern still finds itself atop the Big Ten West. The Wildcats are on track to reach the conference’s championship game as long as they avoid anymore slip-ups.
Minnesota, meanwhile, has taken a step back this season. The Golden Gophers are currently 2-3 after an 11-2 campaign in the 2019 season.
The Big Ten has been hit hard with cancellations this season. Ohio State, as a result, is in jeopardy of missing out on playing in the conference championship. The Buckeyes have had two games cancelled this season.
Northwestern at Minnesota is the latest Big Ten showdown to get cancelled.
