Reports: Matchup between No. 7 Villanova vs No. 17 Virginia not happening as planned

The hits just keep coming. According to reports, Virginia’s matchup with No. 7 Villanova on December 19 is not going to happen at Madison Square Garden as previously planned. The Virginia program has been on a pause as a result of COVID issues since December 8 and has already canceled or postponed games with Michigan State and William and Mary. Virginia’s ACC opener against Wake Forest — scheduled for Wednesday the 16th of December — had previously been postponed as the Demon Deacons dealt with their own coronavirus protocols.

CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein was first with the news, tweeting that the game “will not be played as scheduled” a little after 5pm on Tuesday, December 15.

Matt Norlander, friend of the STL podcast and CBS Sports analyst, confirmed Rothstein’s report 20 minutes later.

Virginia is one of 26 programs currently paused, and several programs have had issues as close quarters, indoor play, and smaller teams have had a huge impact on the ability to keep playing. NC State and Wake Forest are the other ACC teams paused, and Duke canceled its remaining non-conference games to reduce risk.

The Cavaliers, which started the season at No. 4 in the preseason rankings, have struggled finding their footing so far this year with a loss to San Francisco and an overtime win against Kent State.

At the time of publish, Virginia’s next game is scheduled for December 30 at Notre Dame. Stay tuned to Streaking the Lawn for more updates as they’re available.