AAC Football

The Memphis Tigers and Houston Cougars have postponed their football game next Saturday, September 18, after reported COVID-19 issues with the Tigers. 

Bruce Feldman of The Athletic notes Baylor is working to host Houston in Waco, Texas, next week in place of the Memphis game. 

Memphis made clear Friday it's game against Houston was in jeopardy following a COVID-19 outbreak that caused the Tigers to pause all football activities. 

Evan Barnes and Mark Giannotto of the Memphis Commercial Appeal report at least 20 people within the program have tested positive and have entered isolation for 10 days. Another 20 people are in quarantine because of contact tracing. 

"These positive tests, along with contact tracing efforts, dictate that a significant number of individuals enter quarantine in accordance with CDC guidelines," a Memphis statement read Friday. "Due to these circumstances, the football team has paused all practice and group activities and will unfortunately not be able to participate in [Friday's] Unity Walk hosted by the University of Memphis. There are no serious cases at this time, but all student-athletes and staff affected are being closely monitored."

The outbreak of cases has been linked to a party bus enjoyed by Tigers players after last week's win over Arkansas State, but players have been critical about the reasoning. 

"Nobody Had A Party Nor Was On A Party Bus!!" Memphis defensive tackle O'Bryan Goodson wrote in a since-deleted tweet. "Arkansas St needs to be the ones Tested We've been doing what we’re supposed to do, all this came after we played them."

The Memphis Tigers' game against the Houston Cougars on Sept. 18 is reportedly in danger of being postponed or canceled because of a COVID-19 outbreak within the Memphis football program.

According to Evan Barnes and Mark Giannotto of the Commercial Appeal, an anonymous source said at least 20 people within the Tigers program have tested positive for the coronavirus, while at least 20 more people are in quarantine because of contact tracing.

The source noted that most of those who have tested positive for COVID-19 or are in quarantine are defensive players.

Memphis began its season last Saturday with a 37-24 home win over Arkansas State. Quarterback Brady White led the way for the Tigers with 280 passing yards and four touchdowns.

Two sources told Barnes and Giannotto that the positive tests could be attributed to Memphis players' being on a party bus following that victory.

Memphis defensive lineman O'Bryan Goodson disputed the claim on Twitter:

The Memphis players who tested positive are reportedly in a 10-day isolation period. The Tigers don't have a game scheduled this week.

Houston and Memphis both play in the American Athletic Conference's West Division. The Cougars originally planned to face Rice on Sept. 3, but that game was postponed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Houston's first game is now the Sept. 18 matchup against Memphis, but if that game is postponed or canceled, the Cougars would have to wait until Sept. 26 to open the season against North Texas.

While several conferences are proceeding with a 2020 fall football schedule, the Big Ten, Pac-12, Mid-American Conference and Mountain West Conference have all opted to postpone their seasons.

Former SMU kicker Luke Hogan has filed a lawsuit against the school seeking a partial refund of tuition from last spring semester, according to Brett McMurphy of Stadium.

The plaintiff argues he didn't receive what was initially promised when the school went to online classes due to the coronavirus pandemic:

According to NBC DFW, Hogan graduated in the spring 2020 semester, but 59 percent of classes at the school were moved online. The average tuition for the spring semester was $37,955.

McMurphy noted this could lead to a potential class-action suit involving other students affected.

SMU has also faced complaints from MBA students, who were paying more for the program that was moved online than other students who had initially signed up for online class.

"SMU offered credit adjustments for housing, dining and parking, but not for tuition or general fees for Professional MBAs or any student group," the university responded, via Kristi Nelson and Eva Parks of NBC DFW.

"The University is making adjustments to deal with a large budget gap created by COVID-19," the school added.

Hogan began his collegiate career at Houston before transferring to West Virginia and then SMU. He was the team's backup kicker in 2019, going 6-of-9 on extra-point attempts while making his lone field-goal attempt from 38 yards out.

He was named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll when at West Virginia in 2017.

College Football Hall of Famer Bill Yeoman has died at the age of 92.

Per Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston, Bill Yeoman Jr. confirmed his father's death on Wednesday. 

Before his coaching career began, Yeoman played college football at Texas A&M and Army from 1945-48.

Yeoman spent 25 years as head coach at the University of Houston from 1962-86. He is the school's all-time leader in games coached (276), wins (160), bowl game appearances (11) and bowl game wins (six). 

Among the highlights of Yeoman's historic career was adopting the veer offense, more commonly known as the triple-option. Houston used that style of play to win four Southwest Conference championships and finish in the top 10 of the Associated Press poll three different times in 1973, 1976 and 1979. 

Yeoman helped integrate college sports in Texas by becoming the state's first head football coach to give a Black player a scholarship when Warren McVea signed a letter of intent with the school in 1964. 

McVea issued a statement about Yeoman, via Berman:  

In 2001, Yeoman was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the University of Houston Hall of Honor three years earlier. 

University of Houston defensive lineman Sedrick Williams will not play in the 2020 season because of heart complications related to COVID-19. 

In a post on Facebook, Williams said:

"I’ve had my mind made up for a min now , but hearing this story made it even easier ... As a result of the virus I’ve had complications with my heart and I really don’t know the outcome or what’s in store for me in the future , I just know that my life is more precious to me than football could ever be ... I’VE DECIDED TO OPT OUT OF THE 2020 FOOTBALL SEASON due to these complications ... I won’t take this year for granted , IM COMING BACK BIGGER , FASTER , & STRONGER than EVER ...
If you support my decision , thank you . If you don’t support my decision , thank you ."

Williams, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 in July, said the death of basketball player Michael Ojo helped spur his decision. Ojo died last week after having a heart attack in practice. He was 27.

Williams is a transfer student from Kilgore College, where he was named Southwest Junior College Football Conference Most Valuable Player in 2019. The pass-rushing specialist recorded 48 tackles and seven sacks, along with 18 quarterback hurries, last season.

Williams will be able to take a redshirt this season and have two years of eligibility remaining at Houston. 

Memphis Tigers head coach Ryan Silverfield announced earlier this week that the football team would wear "Black Lives Matters" decals on their helmets this season, and one of the program's backers reportedly said he'd help negate any financial impact the decision might create.    

On Friday, The Athletic's John Martin reported a booster said he would match and then double any donations the school may lose as a result of the decals. 

It's unclear if the school has already lost any financial commitments because of the move.

Speaking to Martin shortly after he announced the team would wear the stickers all season, Silverfield said it was his responsibility to stand with his players:

“People are entitled to their beliefs, their rights, their thoughts, their feelings. My job here is to serve our student-athletes. It's something we discussed with the university and the players and we felt it's the right thing to do at this time. People are gonna be unhappy. They weren't happy when I sent previous tweets. They weren't happy with some of the recruits I've taken. They weren't happy with the unity march. They weren't happy with my calls during the Cotton Bowl. We're always gonna be criticized for decisions. But we've got to be there for the players, continue to grow, and make steps in the right direction.”

The coach added he felt it was necessary to continue to support social justice reform, saying it "can't just be a one-time thing where I send out a tweet or have one unity march. It's got to be ongoing."

Silverfield, 39, has been with Memphis since 2016, when he joined the Tigers as an assistant coach. He was elevated to assistant head coach in 2019 and took over the program last December following the departure of Mike Norvell to Florida State. 

University of Memphis president Dr. M. David Rudd, a veteran of the Gulf War, issued a statement of support Thursday.

"The exercise of free speech is essential to a representative republic," Rudd wrote in part. "I support our athletic department, our head coach and our football team. I am proud of our young men for demonstrating leadership, encouraging civility and for their genuine efforts to unite us so our University of Memphis family can become stronger together."

Navy announced Friday its Sept. 12 football game against Lafayette has been canceled. 

Lafayette College made the decision, determining it wouldn't have enough time to prepare for the game once football players are brought onto campus.

Navy is attempting to find a new opponent for that date.

It's the second time the Midshipmen have been forced to adjust their schedule amid the coronavirus pandemic. The squad was expected to face Notre Dame in Ireland on Aug. 29, but the game was moved to Annapolis, Maryland, and will now take place Sept. 5.

The NCAA allowed players to participate in team activities beginning in early June, but the Patriot League announced student-athletes cannot return to campus until the rest of the student body does, per Keith Groller of the Morning Call.

Classes aren't scheduled to begin at Lafayette until Aug. 17.

The Leopards were originally slated to start their season on Sept. 5 against Sacred Heart. The team's next game is currently a Sept. 19 home matchup against William & Mary.

Meanwhile, Navy now has an 11-game schedule, with eight games against fellow AAC squads, two against military academies (Army and Air Force) and the one against Notre Dame. The Lafayette battle was the only matchup scheduled against an FCS opponent.

Though the coronavirus pandemic has already created some changes to the college football season, NCAA president Mark Emmert said recently "we are likely to have football" in the fall, per Seth Davis of The Athletic.

The University of Memphis football team will continue to support those protesting against systemic racism and police brutality across the country by wearing a "Black Lives Matter" decal on its helmet this season.

Tigers head coach Ryan Silverfield announced the decision in a tweet that showed the placement of the stickers on the back of players' helmets. 

Silverfield said students will wear the decals for every game, adding the hashtag #ALLINagainstRACIALINJUSTICE. 

College football programs—and players in particular—have found a strong footing in the fight against systemic racism. 

One of the most prominent voices in getting the state of Mississippi to remove Confederate imagery from its flag was Mississippi State running back Kylin Hill, who threatened to transfer from the program if the flag wasn't changed. 

That followed an announcement from the Southeastern Conference in which the league said it would consider precluding championship events from taking place in the state unless the flag was changed. 

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signed a bill Tuesday to retire the current flag after the state's House of Representatives and Senate quickly voted it through each chamber.

Elsewhere in college sports, student-athletes at Texas and Kansas State have threatened to boycott numerous team events if their schools did not take appropriate steps to address systemic racism on campus. 

The uprisings on campuses across the country show a changing power dynamic in the college sports landscape in which players are taking matters of civil justice mainstream by leveraging their platforms. 

In Memphis, the football team is apparently trying to make sure those conversations continue throughout the upcoming season and using the Black Lives Matter decals as a catalyst to help ensure the topic of systemic racism remains on the forefront after play resumes. 

The season will be the first for Silverfield as head coach after taking over for Mike Norvell in December following his predecessor's move to Florida State. 

The University of Houston has suspended all voluntary workouts after six athletes tested positive for COVID-19.  

Per an official release from the school, the suspension is effective immediately and all six players who tested positive were symptomatic and are now in isolation:

Houston student-athletes were allowed back on campus for voluntary workouts starting on June 1. 

"The health of our student-athletes and staff will continue to be our top priority as we implement this phased approach," athletic director Chris Pezman told Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle on May 30.

Per Duarte, the university did not test athletes who took part in workouts unless they were experiencing symptoms. 

The University of Houston announced on March 12 it was suspending classes on campus due to the coronavirus pandemic. Students returned to class, either online or in an alternate format, on March 23, but athletic activities remained suspended. 

The NCAA Division I Council voted on May 20 to allow voluntary on-campus workouts for student-athletes in football and men's and women's basketball effective June 1. 

UCF announced Tuesday that three football players have tested positive for the coronavirus:

The NCAA allowed players to return to campus June 1 after months away because of the ongoing pandemic, and UCF opened the doors for athletes right away. A reported 60 players were in attendance for voluntary workouts and each was tested, resulting in three positives.

The three players will be placed in isolation for two weeks, while those in direct contact with the players over the last two weeks have been notified.

Knights quarterback McKenzie Milton reportedly had a health scare in May when he had a slight fever and his throat hurt, but his COVID-19 test came back negative, according to Andrea Adelson and Heather Dinich of ESPN.

"It was terrible," he said of the test process, "but better safe than sorry."

The school announced last month all players would be tested as part of a reorientation week. There are other safety measures in place, including masks for support staff and additional cleaning of facilities.

UCF vice president and athletics director Danny White provided an update on the process:

"Certainly health and safety are our number-one priorities and are at the core of every element involved as we take the first step forward in terms of a return to college athletics, while at the same time being ever mindful of the challenges posed by COVID-19.

"Our staff has been consulting regularly with national health experts, as well as colleagues within our league (American Athletic Conference) and locally with Orlando Health. We are committed to keeping student-athletes, staff, coaches, campus and the community as safe as possible amid the pandemic. We expect flexibility to be required as we navigate multiple new sets of circumstances."

With multiple players testing positive, the program must be extra vigilant to keep everyone safe.