The 2021 football season for the Texas A&M Aggies has ended earlier than expected.
On Wednesday, the school announced that its football team would not participate in the Gator Bowl against Wake Forest on December 31 due to COVID-19 issues.
“It is heartbreaking for our players, coaches, staff, and fans that we are not able to play in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl,” Texas A&M athletics director Ross Bjork said in the statement announcing the news. “Post-season football is the pinnacle of the season and when the opportunity is lost, it hurts on many levels. As we have learned in the last 21 months of this health challenge, the well-being and safety of our student-athletes is paramount.”
A COVID outbreak that hit multiple position groups had halted in-person football operations within the program since Saturday, according to Billy Liucci of TexAgs. Now, that outbreak will shut down the football operations until next season.
A&M had not been forced to miss or reschedule any games due to COVID-19 all this season. Last season, the Aggies postponed two games due to the virus, one of which, against Ole Miss, ended up canceled entirely.
Now, the news comes just ten days before their Gator Bowl matchup in Jacksonville, FL, against Wake Forest was scheduled.
“It is unfortunate, but we just don’t have enough scholarship players available to field a team,” A&M head football coach Jimbo Fisher said.
The team will officially finish Fisher’s fourth season in charge with an 8-4 record and ranked No.25 in the final playoff rankings. The team can now start looking forward to the 2022 season when the Aggies will bring in the current No.1 ranked recruiting class, according to 247Sports.
Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson told reporters that the team is looking for a replacement to play in the Gator Bowl but would need to find one by Friday.
Wake Forest is ranked No.17 in the final playoff rankings with a record of 10-3.
“Our team wants to play in this bowl game,” Clawson told reporters. “They want to play in the Gator Bowl, and they want to play on December 31.”