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| Occidental has gotten three games in this season, and has been outscored 170-19. The school has cancelled two games, and now this includes a conference game. d3photography.com file photo |
Occidental has cancelled its Oct. 14 homecoming football game against La Verne, Occidental president Jonathan Veitch announced on Friday morning.
Let's call the whole thing offHere are some notable incidents from the past 20 years: 2005, Lewis & Clark: The Pioneers dropped their Northwest Conference slate after opening the season with 34 players. 2000, Mount Ida: After losing its opener to Western Connecticut 47-0, the Mustangs dropped their second scheduled game (Wesley) and their eighth (Brockport) but played the rest. They went 0-8 on the season, scoring just 16 points. 2014, Maranatha Baptist: The Crusaders called off three of their nine scheduled games, leaving them with six, all of which they lost. Maranatha started the 2014 season with 30 players. The school has since dropped football.
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"I write to inform you that this morning, on the recommendation of coaches, trainers, athletic administrators and senior administrators, I have made the difficult decision to cancel Saturday's game versus La Verne. As you know, our roster has been thin all season," Veitch wrote in a message sent to players and families after coaches notified players directly. "Since Wednesday when we communicated that the game was on, additional player injuries have depleted our roster to the point where we believe that we cannot safely field a team."
It's the second game that Occidental has cancelled this season, out of the five to this point on the schedule. The Tigers' home game vs. Pacific on Sept. 16 was cancelled in similar fashion.
"I know that this cancellation renews questions that have been raised about the state of the program," Veitch wrote. "Our immediate focus is on the health and well-being of the team.
"This is not an announcement any of us wanted to make. The competitive spirit of our coaches and players burns as fiercely as ever, and the college's commitment to athletics remains as strong. That makes this decision all the more disappointing. I want to acknowledge Coach (Rob) Cushman, our players and coaching staff for their character and resolve in pressing ahead."
Veitch had a first meeting with a new alumni football subcommittee earlier this week to consider what's needed to sustain a competitive football program and has announced plans to form a broader task force.
Occidental's next game is scheduled to take place on Oct. 21 at Pomona-Pitzer. As with other cancellations, this game goes into the books officially as a no-contest. D3sports.com reached out to the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, however, which can declare a win for La Verne for purposes of maintaining conference standings. There has not been a response.