12:14 PM
The San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl was officially canceled on Wednesday morning, one day after UCLA pulled out of the game due to concerns over COVID-19.
The game could not be played more than four hours before the start. The UCLA medical staff decided that it was unsafe for the Bruins to play after the test results came in.
The Holiday Bowl and NC State athletics director tried to find a replacement team for the rest of the day. They were unable to find a replacement because of the short notice and the logistical challenges.
NC State coach Dave Doeren was scratching his head.
It's not the fact that we couldn't play UCLA. If they had medical issues, that's life. That's not what we're upset about. Communication would have been great if they had known before the game that this was a possibility. Surely they had an idea. It would have been good if we had a heads up so we could start calling these other schools.
There were several UCLA players who were going to miss the game due to the COVID-19 protocols, but Doeren said there was no indication that there were ongoing issues in San Diego. UCLA coach Chip Kelly said during a news conference on Monday that they would test up until the game.
Kelly said Monday that anyone who has symptoms will be tested after they report them. Someone could go on game day. We have our fingers crossed. If we have 11, we'll play.
NC State knew that UCLA had four players who would be out, but never thought it was more than that, according to Doeren.
Doeren said that he heard Kelly speak at the press conference. They're going to play as long as they have 11. We're disappointed that there wasn't any indication or communication that this could happen.
10% of our players' families could not afford to come because they were away from their families on Christmas, so they sacrificed a lot for us." It was unsportsmanlike to have the game taken away without communication.
The game was very important for the Wolfpack program and Doeren said his team had zero issues. NC State was going for a 10 win season for the second time in school history.
The HolidayBowl trophy was presented by BooCorrigan.
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The NC State football team will play on December 29, 2021.
The Holiday Bowl presented the NC State team with the trophy on Wednesday. NC State will count this as a victory in their record books, no matter what the NCAA thinks of the game.
It doesn't feel like a no contest when one team is ready and the other isn't, Doeren said.
NC State will return to Raleigh on Wednesday.
"Our guys did all the right things, so it's tough," Doeren said. I am sad for them.
