Despite COVID-19 exposure to some members of the University of Hawaii football team, the EasyPost Hawaii Bowl is still scheduled to be played on Friday at the Ching Complex.
Citing privacy laws, UH officials declined to confirm positive-test results or exposures to COVID-19 among the Rainbow Warriors.
But the Honolulu Star-Advertiser has learned an undisclosed number of players and staff are in a 10-day quarantine, the state’s recommended time frame after suspected exposure to the coronavirus. The isolated appears to be a mixture of symptomatic and asymptomatic. None is hospitalized.
The Hawaii Bowl announced that the participating teams — UH and Memphis — will have separate team-only functions instead of a joint luau and banquet ahead of the Christmas Eve game. The initial schedule had the luau on Tuesday night at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel’s Ocean Lawn and the banquet this evening at the Sheraton Waikiki’s Grand Ballroom. Each team dined at their separate Waikiki hotels.
The expanded safety precautions did not interfere with the Warriors’ practice schedule. On Tuesday, the Warriors practiced for about 95 minutes at the Ching Complex. Instead of an in-person interview, running back Dedrick Parson met with reporters on Zoom. Head coach Todd Graham, who spoke with the media during the Tuesday morning news conference, was not available in the afternoon after word broke about the COVID-19 situation.
But Parson, who will start at running back, spoke of the Warriors’ pledge to overcome recent adversity. Three starters, including quarterback Chevan Cordeiro, completed transfers to other schools last week.
Of the possibility of more players missing the bowl game, Parson said: “It’s football, man. This is stuff that happens during football season no matter where you are. Unfortunately we’re in this COVID situation at this time. But it’s injuries in football, it’s so many things that go on in football, you never know what you’ll have.
“I’ve been in plenty of situations where we had lesser bodies, or lesser this. That’s just what comes with this sport. You’ve got to prepare. That’s all this is. It’s a preparation sport. If you can manage what we have and prepare, it’s pretty much the same whether we have a lot of guys or smaller.”
The Tigers will be without their best offensive threat, wideout Calvin Austin III, who opted out to fully heal an ankle injury ahead of the Senior Bowl. Mike MacIntyre resigned as defensive coordinator to accept Florida International’s head coaching job. Charles Clark was named interim defensive coordinator. Nate Taye was promoted to a full-time coaching job.