Mexico’s major college football season cancelled for first time in 52 years

With the COVID-19 pandemic raging in Mexico, the governing body for major college football in that country, ONEFA, Organización Nacional Estudiantil de Futbol Americano, (National Student Organization of American Football) has announced that for the first time in 52 years there will be no college football in Mexico in 2020.

In a statement, president of the league Juan Manuel Bladé said:

“Based on the recommendation of the Medical Commission that includes the measures adopted in compliance with the rules established by the Secretary of Health and the recommendations of the Secretary of Public Education, it was unanimously decided to cancel all football divisions including the Major League 2020.”

The last time the college football season was cancelled in Mexico was during the student protests and riots in 1968. There are a total of 32 major college football teams in Mexico. The lower level leagues will make their decision on August 1.

Bladé added that an extraordinary assembly will be called to clarify the calendar, eligibility and transit conditions for players who will play in 2021. One of the issues of major concern s is the situation of the players born in 1995, who in 2020 would have played their last season of eligibility.

Cor0onavirus situation in Mexico

As of Wednesday, July 15, Mexico has the seventh highest number of cases of the coronavirus in the world and the fourth highest number of deaths from COVID-19. A number of key educational institutions such as the Autonomous University of Chihuahua, UACH and  Autonomous University of Nuevo León, UANL, had already anticipated that their sports teams would not be active for the rest of 2020. On the eve of the cancellation, the National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico, IPN also expressed its intention not to participate.