Report: Vols pull out of Liberty Bowl due to positive tests
Tennessee was forced to pull out of next week’s Liberty Bowl after coach Jeremy Pruitt and several players tested positive for COVID-19, ESPN reported Monday.
The Volunteers (3-7) were slated to play West Virginia (5-4) on Dec. 31 in the Memphis bowl game.
The team’s tests were conducted Sunday with the positive results coming back after Tennessee had accepted the bowl invitation. Tennessee then re-tested the positives and did a whole new round of testing, per the report. The positive results and contact tracing rendered the Vols with not enough players and coaches to play the game.
The Vols finished their regular season last week against Texas A&M without assistant coaches Jay Graham and Derrick Ansley reportedly because of COVID-19 issues.
ESPN reports that the Liberty Bowl could select Army (9-2) or Mississippi State (3-7) to replace the Vols. Mississippi State is slated to play Dec. 31 in the Armed Forces Bowl, which could be a landing spot for Army if the Bulldogs head to the Liberty Bowl.
–Field Level Media
