According to a Southeastern Conference (SEC) press release, Vanderbilt will no longer play Georgia on Dec. 19. The SEC cited Vanderbilt’s limited roster size as the main reason for the cancellation.
“The Vanderbilt at Georgia football game of December 19 has been cancelled due to the Vanderbilt football squad size and position availability falling below roster minimum requirements,” the release stated. “The Vanderbilt at Georgia game is declared a no-contest.”
The game, originally scheduled for Dec. 5, was flexed to Dec. 19 following the postponement of games against Missouri and Tennessee. But with Vanderbilt struggling with opt-outs, COVID-19 quarantines, and injuries, the Bulldogs and Commodores will not meet in the 2020 season.
Interim head coach Todd Fitch said after the Commodores season-ending loss to Tennessee that the team had just 49 scholarship players available last weekend, four below the SEC recommended 53 player threshold.
With the cancellation, the Commodores have concluded their shortened season at 0-9 following their 42-17 loss to Tennessee on Dec. 12. The 2020 season marks the Commodores’ first winless season in school history. Vanderbilt now enters an important offseason as the search for their next head coach continues.
