Hogs’ Texas Bowl officially canceled due to covid issues at TCU

Arkansas’ Texas Bowl appearance was officially canceled Tuesday afternoon after covid-19 issues within the TCU football program, according to the bowl.

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— Mercari Texas Bowl (@TexasBowl) December 29, 2020

Arkansas released a statement from Sam Pittman and athletics director Hunter Yurachek after the announcement:

Arkansas Head Coach Sam Pittman: “We are very disappointed not to get the opportunity to compete again as a team. We were excited and wanted to go play TCU in the Texas Bowl, but we certainly understand the issues in the TCU program. We had no positive tests from yesterday and were ready to go to Houston this afternoon with a healthy team. Our team and our student-athletes have sacrificed a lot over the last several months, including over the holidays, so this is a tough way to end our season. I’m so proud of our team for fighting and handling themselves through adversity all year.”

Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek: “We are disappointed that our student-athletes will not have an opportunity to compete against TCU in the Mercari Texas Bowl. In what has been one of the most unusual seasons in college football history, our student-athletes made incredible sacrifices and earned the opportunity to safely compete in 10 games during the 2020 football season. That is a tremendous credit to them and the efforts of Coach Sam Pittman, his staff, our medical team and the leadership of Commissioner Greg Sankey and the Southeastern Conference. We look forward to taking the field again for the 2021 season.”

The Razorbacks were scheduled to play the Horned Frogs on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Houston’s NRG Stadium. It would have been the first time the Hogs’ first bowl game since blowing a 24-point halftime lead against Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl four years ago on Dec. 29, 2016.

The Hogs were set to leave at 12:45, but then the news started trickling out the game was canceled, according to media reports.

Bowl officials reached out to other teams, but were unable to find an opponent, media outlets are reporting.