Iowa’s Music City Bowl appearance still a matter of ‘if’, not ‘when’
Gary Barta says some of 14 positives in Iowa athletic department were football players and staff
By Tyler Devine
IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Iowa football team’s Music City Bowl matchup with Missouri on Dec. 30 appears to be a matter of ‘if’, not ‘when’.
Iowa announced Monday that it had received 14 positive COVID-19 cases within the athletic department, and athletic director Gary Barta said that some of the positive cases were football players and staff, but did not specify how many.
Iowa announced Dec. 18 that head coach Kirk Ferentz tested positive for the virus and would remain home until Dec. 27.
Barta said during a press conference Monday that the current plan is to play the bowl game, but did not rule out a postponement or cancelation.
“(Ferentz) has a plan and we’re ready to go,” Barta said. “Obviously, he’ll have to work from home until his quarantine, isolation time is up. (Ferentz) has a plan going forward and we’ll work that plan. We’ll leave on the 29th, so anybody who is available to go on the 29th will be there in person and we’ll get ready to play a good Missouri team.”
While there hasn’t been any discussion about a postponement or cancelation of the game, which takes place in Nashville, Tenn., Barta said that the decision will ultimately be made by team doctors and the Big Ten.
Barta also said that it was unclear whether or not players who return Monday and test positive would be sent home for winter break.
“If we’re still within the percentages that are allowed by the Big Ten, we’ll keep moving forward,” Barta said. “If at any time we were to go higher than those percentages then, if the doctors shared that information with us, we would have to go on pause, which has been the case throughout the country on occasion.
“On pause might mean a few different things. On pause might be – is it for a couple of days – depending on is it student-athletes, is it staff members. I think all of that will have to be evaluated. The medical protocol established by the Big Ten will determine that.”
If the Music City Bowl is not played, it could end up being a positive for Iowa, at least financially.
Barta said Monday that when it is all said and done, bowl games will end up having a negative financial impact throughout the Big Ten, and that the goal was to have the least financial impact possible.