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Bowl with B1G tie-in becomes latest game to announce cancellation

Scott Schultz

By Scott Schultz

Published:

Considered a potential landing spot for the B1G during bowl season, the Guaranteed Rate Bowl for 2020 has been canceled, Guaranteed Rate Bowl officials announced on Sunday.

The statement from the Guaranteed Rate Bowl:

Due to unprecedented ramifications from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Guaranteed Rate Bowl has been forced to cancel its 2020 game, originally set for December 26.

The Guaranteed Rate Bowl looks forward to returning for the 2021-22 Bowl Season, in downtown Phoenix live on ESPN, featuring teams from the Big Ten and Big 12 Conferences.

We were excited to host two quality institutions and stage a memorable experience for all involved. This is a disappointing result for our organization, community partners, sponsors, fans, staff and volunteers. A lot of care and thoughtful work has gone into planning, adjusting and executing an event of this stature.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Guaranteed Rate Bowl has worked with the Arizona Governor’s Office, Maricopa County, Arizona Sports & Tourism Authority, health experts, City of Phoenix and the Arizona Diamondbacks to create updated health and safety plans and protocols. These policies were designed to protect participants, staff, fans, media and vendors, while maintaining an entertaining fan experience.

With Iowa, Wisconsin, and Northwestern already heading to bowl games, it was anticipated that Indiana could be a potential match for the Phoenix-based bowl.

The game had been scheduled to take place Saturday in Phoenix. The cancellation announcement comes as numerous college teams have said they aren’t planning to participate in bowl games, including Michigan State, Nebraska, and Maryland.

Scott Schultz

Scott Schultz covers Michigan State Football, along with Breaking News for B1G Football & Basketball for Saturday Tradition. He also serves as an Automotive News Editor & Writer, and Softball Writer elsewhere on the web. Follow him on Twitter @SRSchultz.