The Missouri–Vanderbilt football game scheduled for Saturday in Columbia, Missouri, has been postponed to a later date, tentatively Dec. 12, making it the first SEC game to be moved this season because of issues related to COVID-19.
Vanderbilt was down to 56 scholarship players last week in a 41-7 loss to South Carolina, and the school said Monday in a news release that the postponement of the Missouri game was due to a lack of scholarship athletes. The SEC’s Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force stipulates that a team must have at least 53 scholarship players available to play a game, including seven offensive linemen (with one center), four defensive linemen and one quarterback.
Vanderbilt’s shortage of available scholarship players was due to the quarantining of individuals with positive COVID-19 tests and those designated as close contacts, along with injuries and opt-outs, according to the school.
This is the 28th FBS game overall to be postponed or canceled since Aug. 26.
Missouri is scheduled to face Florida on Oct. 24 in Gainesville, Florida. The Tigers are 1-2 after winning their first game of the season last week, 45-41 over defending national champion LSU.