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San Jose State officials are racing the clock as they seek to relocate Saturday’s football game against Hawaii.
The two Mountain West teams were scheduled to play at CEFCU Stadium in San Jose, Calif. But that plan was altered because of the new coronavirus-based quarantine rules that were imposed for Santa Clara County. Health officials are prohibiting contact-sport activities, such as practices and games, for the next three weeks in that Bay Area county. The order also calls for incoming travelers from at least 150 miles outside the county to quarantine for 14 days.
San Jose State athletic director Marie Tuite said moving the game to Aloha Stadium does not appear to be a consideration.
“As far as whether or not we would play the game in Hawaii, at this point, we are not looking at that option,” Tuite said.
The possibility also is dimming of playing in Arcata, Calif. The Spartans conducted 11 days of preseason training on Humboldt State’s Arcata campus in October. It was initially believed that Humboldt State could be set up as the Spartans’ headquarters if they could not return to San Jose without quarantining during the restrictive period. But there is growing concern that restrictions will become a state matter rather than just a county rule, affecting all of California. Arcata, a 323-mile drive from San Jose, is in Humboldt County.
During Monday’s Zoom call with reporters, Tuite indicated a decision on the game would be made “in the next couple days.” An SJSU official said a site might be announced today.
The Spartans are on the clock if they wish to accommodate UH. The initial itinerary called for the Rainbow Warriors to depart on Wednesday afternoon on a non-stop flight to San Jose International Airport.
Despite the obstacles, the game is expected to be played somewhere. The Spartans are 4-0 in this eight-week regular season, and seeking a berth in the Mountain West’s title game on Dec. 19. The finalists will be the two teams with the top winning percentages. A criteria for title-game consideration is to meet a minimum requirement. According to the league, teams must play in no less than two fewer conference games than the average number of conference games played by all conference teams. Translation: After Fresno State and Boise State canceled games against SJSU because of the COVID-19-based circumstances, the Spartans probably would need to play UH this week or Nevada in next week’s regular-season finale to meet the minimum.
