The Mountain West Conference canceled the scheduled game between New Mexico and Colorado State on Tuesday.
The game was set to be played Saturday night in Fort Collins, Colo., to open the eight-game season for both teams.
The game will not be rescheduled, the conference said.
The cancellation came because of restrictions related to COVID-19 in Bernalillo County, N.M., where the Albuquerque campus is located. A spike in cases in New Mexico led to the state limiting gatherings to no more than five people, including team practices. The Lobos have been practicing in small groups.
Eight players and one coach for the Lobos tested positive last week, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
New Mexico recently reported an average of 544 COVID-19 cases per day, up 133 percent from the average number two weeks earlier.
Colorado State next is scheduled to play on Oct. 29 at Fresno State. New Mexico is slated to host San Jose State on Oct. 31.
The conference indefinitely postponed its football season and all fall sports on Aug. 10 due to safety concerns involving the coronavirus pandemic. At that point, the Mountain West became the second league, following the Mid-American Conference, to announce the postponement of their seasons.
The conference agreed last month to reinstate the football season, and the announcement came with the stipulation that the schedule was “subject to approval from state, county and local officials.”
