Maryland's football game against No. 3 Ohio State is canceled and will not be rescheduled after the Terps paused all team-related activities on Wednesday because of an elevated number of coronavirus cases within the Terrapins' program, the school announced on Wednesday.
Over the past seven days, eight Maryland football players have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a news release from the school.
The decision to pause football activities and cancel Saturday's game was made jointly by athletic director Damon Evans and university president Darryll Pines following a recommendation from university health officials and in consultation with the Big Ten office.
"There is nothing more important than the health and well-being of our student-athletes, coaches and staff," Evans said in a prepared statement. "We realize that this news is disappointing to all of the Maryland fans out there who were looking forward to the Terps taking on an outstanding Ohio State team, but the responsible thing for us to do is pause football activities, given the number of positive cases currently in our program."
This is the third Big Ten game to be canceled because of COVID-19, as Wisconsin was unable to play its past two games against Nebraska and Purdue. Ohio State's next game is scheduled for Nov. 21 against Indiana.
"The health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes is our main concern," Ohio State coach Ryan Day said in a prepared statement. "Obviously, we are disappointed at not being able to compete this week, but I am incredibly proud of our team and the way they have handled themselves throughout this entire pandemic. We wish Maryland, their student-athletes and programs well as they battle through this issue."
Maryland's next game is scheduled for Nov. 21 vs. Michigan State.
"We're obviously extremely disappointed that we'll be unable to host Ohio State this Saturday," Maryland coach Mike Locksley said in a prepared statement. "It was an opportunity that our team was preparing for and excited about. However, we have and always will keep our players, coaches and staff's safety at the forefront of our decision-making process. We'll continue to operate as much as we can virtually as we monitor the situation in hopes of returning to play when it's deemed safe."