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UMASS

Liberty adds UMass back to 2020 football schedule

LYNCHBURG, Va. – A game that was previously on the Flames' 2020 football slate has returned as Liberty and UMass will end up meeting on the gridiron this season. Liberty has announced it will host the UMass Minutemen at Williams Stadium on Friday, Nov. 27 at Noon. “We are excited to confirm the game with UMass on Friday of Thanksgiving weekend,” said Director of Athletics Ian McCaw. Liberty was previously scheduled to host UMass on Saturday, Nov. 28, but the contest was dropped from the Flames' 2020 schedule when the Minutemen announced they were not going to play football this fall in August. UMass Athletics provided an update on the status of its football program on Sept. 21, stating the Minutemen would play a limited schedule in 2020.

The Latest: UMass to play football this fall, reversing call

(AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___UMass says it will play football this fall, reversing an August decision to postpone the season until the spring. One of few independents in the Football Bowl Subdivision, the school says it will start in mid-October. Games still need to be scheduled, which could be a challenge because most leagues are playing a limited number of nonconference games, if any. UMass was an occasional power in Division I-AA, now known as the Football Championship Subdivision, winning it all in 1998 and returning to the title game eight years later. Results show that “a number of our first-team squad have tested positive for COVID-19.”Those who tested positive will follow government self-isolation guidelines.