TCU announced Friday that its season-opening football game against SMU will not be played on Sept. 11 as planned because of positive coronavirus tests.
"In the course of following CDC guidelines and our aggressive testing and contact tracing strategy, we discovered that some student-athletes and support staff in our football program have tested positive for COVID-19," TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati said in a statement. "Those individuals were notified immediately and are currently abiding by CDC protocols."
TCU said it will now focus on its Big 12 opener against No. 23 Iowa State on Sept. 26.
School officials at TCU this week reported more than 400 active COVID-19 cases for the campus two weeks into the fall semester. Among those, nearly 250 were students were living on campus.
When the Big 12 went to a schedule with only one nonconference game, SMU was originally left off the Horned Frogs' schedule. After Tennessee Tech postponed its season, however, the two schools announced Aug. 15 that they would resurrect the game, which would be the 100th meeting in the schools' Iron Skillet rivalry.
Donati said the schools have agreed to look for a makeup date this season.
SMU athletic director Rick Hart tweeted that the Mustangs were disappointed the game won't be played as scheduled.
"Our student-athletes, coaches and fans were looking forward to the 100th edition of the Iron Skillet Rivalry. We are excited to start the season tomorrow at Texas State," Hart wrote.
TCU and SMU will play in Fort Worth, Texas, in a previously scheduled game in 2021 before the series returns to Dallas in 2022.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
