NC State football season is officially over after Holiday Bowl cancellation
The search for a replacement for UCLA in the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl for NC State football has ended without success, and with it the Wolfpack’s season is over.
“After exhausting every possibility and contacting numerous schools personally and through the Holiday Bowl, we have no other option than to end our season,” NC State director of athletics Boo Corrigan said. “As disappointing as this stunning turn of events was, we must not let it diminish the accomplishments of our 2021 football team or forget the moments of joy that they brought us.
“I commend Coach [Dave] Doeren, his staff and especially our players for making great decisions and doing the right things to ensure that they were ready to play every wekk and all the way until yesterday. I can’t wait to watch them run it back in 2022.”
Holiday Bowl CEO Mark Neville made the announcement Wednesday morning in a prepared statement that the game was officially off after no replacement was found to play NC State.
“Sadly we are announcing that the 2021 SDCCU Holiday Bowl is cancelled. We worked closely with Boo Corriganand the fantastic NC State Athletics staff to try and find a replacement team for UCLA, but were unable to do so. We are especially heartbroken for our RedCoat and RedShirt volunteers and staff who spent so much time and effort planning an incredible festival of events, culminating in a premier bowl game. We are so lucky to have a tremendous relationship with our title sponsor — San Diego County Credit Union, FOX Sports, our civic and other sponsor partners and, of course, our fans. We also want to acknowledge and thank the San Diego Padres and the Petco Park staff for taking us in and transforming the ballpark into a world-class football facility. We looking forward to coming back in 2022 and putting on one heck of a show!”
The announcement caps a stunning turn of events over the past 24 hours, where a game that appeared on what suddenly thrown into jeopardy due to a late pullout less than five hours from kickoff by UCLA, citing medical advice following COVID testing results that “deemed it unsafe” to participate in the Holiday Bowl.
The late move left both Doeren and Corrigan fuming and frustrated.
The search for a potential replacement began immediately, but logistical obstacles always made it a far-fetched possibility. The Raleigh News and Observer noted that Corrigan had reached out to more than 10 teams to see if it was possible to play the Holiday Bowl in UCLA’s place.
Related link: Frustrated NC State AD Boo Corrigan says there is a tight window to find replacement
Related link: Dave Doeren says NC State would have won the Holiday Bowl over UCLA
Related link: The Wolfpacker 3-2-1 – Holiday Bowl fallout for NC State football
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