/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67045727/usa_today_9743501.0.jpg)
After losing their 2013 contest to a 100-year flood in Boulder, now Fresno State is losing their 2020 game against the Buffaloes due to the COVID crisis. The PAC-12 announced on Friday that they will be playing conference games only this Fall, meaning that all OOC games have been cancelled. It does appear that all conferences will follow the lead of the Big Ten and PAC-12 by going conference only, if there is a season at all. This game would have been an interesting one, as it would have matched up first year coaches for both programs, with Karl Dorrell taking over Colorado, and Kalen DeBoer returning to Fresno State. The last game between the two programs was a 69-14 rout by the 2012 Bulldogs in Tim DeRuyter’s first season in Fresno.
As of this moment in time, Fresno State still has games against Idaho State, New Mexico State, and a road trip to Texas A&M, although all three of those games are currently in question as well. The Bulldogs will lose a $600k guarantee for playing the Buffaloes, and the game against Texas A&M had a payout in excess of $1M. I’m sure there will be legal action at some point about those contracts, because that would leave Fresno State with an almost $2M hole in their budget. The Dogs hold a current 2 game winning streak over the University of Colorado, with wins in 2001 and 2012. It’s safe to assume they would have won in 2013 as well, but we’ll never know what would have transpired in the last two games. It would have evened up the all-time series if the Bulldogs have prevailed in 2013 and 2020.
Please continue watching this space for any news updates regarding scheduling and game updates. The MW Connection team will be here to give you news as it happens.