The 2020 Virginia football season was originally scheduled to open in Atlanta with a showdown against Georgia on Labor Day.
COVID-19 caused the ACC to alter its schedule, and a revised schedule revealed that VMI would visit Charlottesville on Sept. 11 to open the Cavaliers’ schedule.
On Thursday, VMI announced it would follow the Southern Conference’s decision to postpone fall sports, leaving Virginia without a season-opening opponent.
The Cavaliers’ official football Twitter account announced the program would seek a schedule replacement for the Friday night season opener. Finding a replacement presents a challenge, given the volume of programs to postpone fall football.
Given the ACC’s revised COVID-19 rules, nonconference games must be played in the ACC team’s home state. The game with VMI was scheduled to take place in Charlottesville.
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With many FCS programs – especially local FCS programs – officially ruled out of competing this fall it likely leaves the Cavaliers looking for an FBS replacement. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, multiple Power 5 leagues, including the Big Ten and Pac-12, won’t play this fall due to COVID-19.
The group of potential replacement opponents is shrinking daily.
Limited options remain for the Wahoos to schedule a nonconference foe. FBS independents like Liberty, BYU and Army are possible replacement options. UVa may have to be creative in finding a new team to open its season.
The Cavaliers will look to find a program that can meet the ACC’s testing standards and health protocols, as playing an opponent safely in Week 1 remains a goal.
If the ACC’s testing standards become more stringent in upcoming weeks it could also factor into finding the new nonconference foe.
Bronco Mendenhall’s program finds itself preparing for the 2020 fall season, and it doesn’t know its first opponent.