University of Connecticut cancels 2020 football season due to coronavirus concerns

UConn announced it will suspend its football program for this year, citing COVID-19 health concerns, making it the first FBS team to cancel its season.

In a statement, UConn athletic director David Benedict said the decision came after consulting state and public health officials, and speaking with student-athletes. 

"The safety challenges created by COVID-19 place our football student-athletes at an unacceptable level of risk," he said.

Non-conference games against Illinois, Maine and Ole Miss were previously canceled after several NCAA athletic conferences capped the number of non-conference games for the season.

UConn was previously in the American Athletic Conference, the same conference as the University of South Florida, but reached an agreement for the school's departure to join the Big East.

The Huskies officially left on July 1, and are required to pay an exit fee of $17 million by 2026, reports ESPN.