The Tennessee Volunteers are reportedly out of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl after head coach Jeremy Pruitt and multiple players and coaches tested positive for COVID-19.
ESPN senior writer and University of Tennessee alum Chris Low reports tests were conducted as part of Southeastern Conference protocol on Sunday and the program received results on Monday, hours after the Vols accepted their bowl invitation to face West Virginia in Memphis on December 31.
A second round of testing was conducted on Monday to confirm both the positive and negative cases for players and staffers within the Tennessee football program, ESPN reports. The combination of positive tests and individuals who came in contact with others who tested positive leaves the Vols short of the minimum number of players and coaches required to participate in Liberty Bowl matchup.
Tennessee (3-7) was without assistant coaches Derrick Ansley and Jay Graham during Saturday's 34-14 loss to Texas A&M in its final regular season game. Sources said both coaches were reported to have missed the game due to COVID-19-related issues, ESPN reports.
Last month, University of Tennessee athletic director and former head football coach Phillip Fulmer announced he tested positive for COVID-19. Fulmer, 70, shared news of his positive test in a statement on his Twitter account on November 20.
Tennessee is the first SEC team unable to make its bowl game appearance due to COVID-19-related issues, after several other conference games were postponed due to COVID-related issues during the 2020 regular season.
Sources told ESPN that Army is reportedly being considered as a replacement for the Liberty Bowl or Lockheed martin Armed Forces Bowl, with the latter becoming an option if Mississippi State replaces Tennessee in the Liberty Bowl.
Army went 9-2 during the regular season, but is not currently scheduled to appear in a bowl game.
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