College Football Teams That Have Canceled Their 2020 Season
Conference USA
Old Dominion
The Monarchs canceled their 2020 fall sports on Monday, Aug. 10. Old Dominion's football team finished 1-11 last fall and was under the direction of first-year coach Ricky Rahne. The new coach
put out a statement following the canceled season.
Independents
New Mexico State
Schedule changes due to canceled games left New Mexico State with a thin schedule, and the program opted to cancel its fall season on Thursday, Aug. 13. The Aggies finished 2-10 in 2019 and were likely headed for another rebuilding year in '20.
UConn
On Wednesday, Aug. 5,
UConn announced it would not play during the 2020 college football season. The Huskies were slated to begin their first season of FBS Independence after departing the American Athletic Conference.
UMass
The Minutemen canceled their 2020 fall season on Tuesday, Aug. 11. The program intends to pursue playing its fall sports in the spring semester. UMass was slated to enter a rebuilding season under second-year coach Walt Bell after the program finished 1-11 in 2019.
MAC (Canceled All Fall Sports on Saturday, Aug. 8)
Akron
All MAC teams canceled their 2020 season on Saturday, Aug. 8. The Zips finished 0-12 last year and were hoping to rebound in coach Tom Arth's second season.
Ball State
The Cardinals were poised to challenge for the 2020 MAC title thanks to the return of 13 starters, including quarterback Drew Plitt and receiver Justin Hall.
Bowling Green
Scot Loeffler's second year at Bowling Green featured 12 returning starters, including standout tight end Quintin Morris and running back Andrew Clair. The Falcons will hope to improve off last year's 3-9 mark in 2021.
Buffalo
The Bulls were Athlon's projected champion of the MAC in 2020. Coach Lance Leipold's team was loaded with talent, including running back Jaret Patterson and defensive ends Malcolm Koonce and Taylor Riggins.
Central Michigan
The Chippewas were the defending MAC West champion and expected to compete for the division crown once again.
Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan is one of college football's toughest jobs, but coach Chris Creighton had this program in the mix for bowl games in recent years.
Kent State
Led by quarterback Dustin Crum, the Golden Flashes were poised to challenge for back-to-back bowl trips.
Miami (Ohio)
The RedHawks were the surprise champion of the MAC in 2019 and projected to rank near the top of the league once again in '20.
Ohio
Long-time coach Frank Solich had a team poised to push for the MAC title thanks to 16 returning starters.
Toledo
The Rockets were the projected MAC West champion by Athlon Sports. Coach Jason Candle's team was poised to rebound after a 6-6 finish in 2019.
Western Michigan
The Broncos finished 7-6 in 2019 and projected to contend for the MAC West title in 2020.
Mountain West (Canceled All Fall Sports on Monday, Aug. 10)
Air Force
The Falcons were poised to push Boise State and Wyoming for the top spot in the Mountain West's Mountain Division after an 11-2 mark in 2019. The Falcons announced on Sept. 14 that they would
host Navy on Oct. 3 and play at Army on Nov. 7 to keep the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy series alive.
Boise State
The Broncos were Athlon's pick to win the Mountain West and a projected top-25 team for 2020. Coach Bryan Harsin had several new faces in the trenches on both sides of the ball, but quarterback Hank Bachmeier was poised for a big year in leading a dynamic offense.
Colorado State
The Rams were slated to begin a new era for their program under coach Steve Addazio. The new staff brought back 13 starters, including receiver Warren Jackson and quarterback Patrick O'Brien.
Fresno State
New coach Kalen DeBoer was one of the top hires of the 2019-20 coaching carousel and was poised to push the Bulldogs back into bowl contention. The team was slated to return 10 starters, with running back Ronnie Rivers and linebacker Justin Rice among the top players at their position in the Mountain West.
Hawaii
The Rainbow Warriors were the defending champion of the Mountain West's West Division. New coach Todd Graham is an interesting fit in Honolulu, but another division title was within reach behind rising star quarterback Chevan Cordeiro.
Nevada
The Wolf Pack were Athlon's projected champion of the Mountain West's West Division for 2020. Coach Jay Norvell's team had a favorable schedule, along with rising star quarterback Carson Strong and one of the conference's top defenders in end Dom Peterson.
New Mexico
New coach Danny Gonzales is a good fit for this program, but the Lobos were headed for a rebuilding year in 2020.
San Diego State
Brady Hoke is back on the sidelines at San Diego State, and there were plenty of reasons to believe the Aztecs were poised to push for another division title in the fall. A defense that held teams to 12.7 points a game brought back seven starters for 2020.
San Jose State
The Spartans showed improvement in coach Brent Brennan's third year, finishing 5-7 overall and just one win away from a bowl game. Brennan seems to have this program on the right track, so contending for a bowl trip was reasonable in 2020.
UNLV
Former Oregon assistant Marcus Arroyo inherited a rebuilding effort, but also a roster that returned standout running back Charles Williams, receiver Randal Grimes and lineman Julio Garcia. The Rebels were also set to play in a new shared stadium with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Utah State
Replacing Jordan Love topped the list of priorities for coach Gary Andersen this fall, and the late addition of Utah transfer Jason Shelley added intrigue to the quarterback room for 2020. The Aggies were expected to contend for a bowl this fall.
Wyoming
The Cowboys had the necessary pieces in place to challenge Boise State for the Mountain West title. A defense that returned five starters ranked among the best in the nation, and the offense featured two quarterbacks - Sean Chambers and Levi Williams - with potential to help an offense looking for a spark after averaging 25.8 points a contest in 2019.
Pac-12
Arizona
The Wildcats were hoping to improve after a 4-8 mark last fall. Coach Kevin Sumlin's offense featured a promising quarterback in Grant Gunnell, but big improvement was needed on defense.
Arizona State
The Sun Devils were a trendy sleeper team to watch for 2020. Quarterback Jayden Daniels is a rising star, and Arizona State's defense was poised to rank among the best in the Pac-12.
California
California was set to be a sleeper pick to win the Pac-12 in 2020. Coach Justin Wilcox's team returned a strong defense, and quarterback Chase Garbers was primed for a breakout year.
Colorado
New coach Karl Dorrell inherited a rebuilding project in Boulder. The Buffaloes entered 2020 looking to replace star receiver Laviska Shenault and needed to find a new starting quarterback.
Oregon
The Ducks were Athlon's pick to win the Pac-12 in 2020. Coach Mario Cristobal's team featured one of the nation's top defenses, while left tackle Penei Sewell was college football's top offensive lineman.
Oregon State
The Beavers nearly made a bowl game last season and were poised to contend for one in 2020. Coach Jonathan Smith's team returned one of the Pac-12's top running backs in Jermar Jefferson, and linebacker Hamilcar Rashed was set to push for All-America honors.
Stanford
After a disappointing 4-8 record last year, Stanford was expected to rebound in 2020. Quarterback Davis Mills was expected to have a breakout season, and the defense featured one of the top cornerbacks in college football in Paulson Adebo.
UCLA
Chip Kelly was hoping to guide UCLA to a bowl game in his third year at the helm. The Bruins entered 2020 with question marks on defense, but quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson led an offense with potential.
USC
Clay Helton's team was Athlon's pick to win the Pac-12 South in 2020. Quarterback Kedon Slovis and a deep receiving corps was set to lead a dynamic offense this fall.
Utah
The Utes lost a ton of talent from last year's squad that won the Pac-12 South. However, coach Kyle Whittingham's team would've found a way to contend for the division title again.
Washington
New coach Jimmy Lake worked under Chris Petersen as the program's defensive coordinator, so major changes on that side of the ball weren't expected. However, the Huskies needed major improvement on offense to challenge Oregon in the Pac-12 North.
Washington State
New coach Nick Rolovich inherited an uncertain situation at quarterback, but the Cougars would've been fun to watch in 2020.