The Music City Bowl between Missouri and Iowa that was scheduled for Wednesday has been canceled because COVID-19 issues left the Tigers unable to play. Tigers coaches allowed players to return home for Christmas, likely leading to the new cases.
The Nashville, Tennessee-based game is the second bowl called off since the postseason lineup was set on Dec. 20, joining the Gasparilla Bowl. Missouri is the third Southeastern Conference team that has had to pull out of its bowl game, joining Tennessee and South Carolina. Army was able to replace Tennessee in the Liberty Bowl against West Virginia to salvage that game. South Carolina’s coronavirus issues left UAB without an opponent in the Gasparilla Bowl. Iowa was left in the same situation, with no short-notice replacement available.
Overall, 18 bowl games scheduled to be played this season have been canceled.