Wildfires in California have caused postponements and rescheduling of a number of college football games within the state due to unsafe conditions. So far, three Division I games have either been rescheduled or moved up on Saturday.
California wildfires rescheduling college football games, including Stanford-Cal
Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The most notable game is Stanford at Cal, which has been rescheduled to Dec. 1.
The biggest concern is the poor air quality in Berkley, Calif. Here’s more from Stanford’s official release:
After extensive consultation with campus medical and environmental experts, the Pac-12 Conference and Stanford, UC Berkeley’s Chancellor, Carol Christ, and Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton concluded that the game should be postponed due to concerns for the health and well-being of student-athletes, staff, the band and student groups, and fans.
While the initial intention was to wait until Saturday to make a final decision, current air quality conditions provided by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and forecasts for the weekend are indicating that Air Quality Index (AQI) levels are unlikely to sufficiently improve by Saturday afternoon. The decision is consistent with guidelines established by the NCAA Sports Science Institute and the Pac-12’s Health and Well-Being Board.
Because both teams are too far out of reach from the Pac-12 North leaders Washington State and Washington, the rescheduling won’t impact the divisional standings too much. This marks The Big Game’s first postponement in 55 years:
The only years since 1892 in which the traditional rivalry wasn’t played were during World War I (1915-18) and World War II (1943-45). The 1963 Big Game was postponed a week after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Other games in California have been impacted, too.
Nevada’s game at San Jose State has been moved up two hours from 2 p.m. to noon PT, and UC Davis’ game at Sacramento State will be played in Nevada’s home stadium at noon PT on Saturday.
Cal basketball cancelled its game against Detroit Mercy scheduled for Thursday night because the Air Quality Index was well over 200, considered in the “very unhealthy range” per the EPA. According to the Los Angeles Times, smoke infiltrated Cal’s Haas Pavilion, which led the cancellation. San Francisco also postponed its home game against Arizona State.
Earlier in the week, the air quality in California was among the worst in the world.
Here’s a look at the conditions as of Friday afternoon:
And here’s more Vox.com:
The brown shaded area is where the EPA says the air is truly hazardous. If you live in this area, the EPA recommends that “people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should remain indoors and keep activity levels low,” and that “everyone else should avoid all physical activity outdoors.”
The air quality index in Sacramento is currently at 316. That’s hazardous. Breathing in that air for a day is roughly equivalent to smoking 14 cigarettes.
A much greater swath of Northern California has “unhealthy” or “very unhealthy” air, meaning everyone in the air may feel some effects of pollution. This area includes the densely populated San Francisco Bay region.
The air quality is expected to get a little better over the weekend, but the situation can change quickly.
Everyone’s first priority is safety, and it’s good to see these schools making that a priority. We’ll update this post with any further information.
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