Associated Press

The Atlantic Coast Conference says this weekend’s game between Duke and Wake Forest won’t be played due to coronavirus issues and injuries within the Demon Deacons’ football program.

The league made the announcement Tuesday night ahead of Saturday’s scheduled matchup at Duke. The ACC’s statement made no mention of rescheduling, though Wake Forest said in a separate release that it would work with Duke and the ACC on the possibility of rescheduling the game.

Wake Forest said the decision is due to “a combination of positive cases, quarantine of close contacts and injuries.” The Demon Deacons won’t hold team activities or practice today and Thursday.

Wake Forest is coming off a 59-53 loss at North Carolina last weekend.

The move comes a day after the ACC announced multiple rescheduled games that included moving Wake Forest’s game at Louisville up a week to Nov. 28 while pushing a visit from No. 12 Miami back a week to Dec. 5. And a September game against No. 2 Notre Dame had already been rescheduled to Dec. 12 due to coronavirus concerns within the Fighting Irish program.

Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said late Tuesday afternoon that the team was “not unaffected” by coronavirus issues and that it was down an unspecified number of players.

“It’s a small number and we hope to keep it that way,” Clawson said.

___

Kentucky will sell fan cutouts for men’s basketball games Rupp Arena. and at women’s basketball and volleyball games and gymnastics events at Memorial Coliseum.

Prices start at $50 with options ranging from four- to six-foot tall cutouts and an upgraded version autographed by men’s coach John Calipari. The Rupp premium option is a four-foot version to be placed in the first two rows of the arena. The six-foot tunnel option includes Calipari’s autograph and will be placed in the tunnels and corners where the team enters the floor.

Similar options are available for women’s games with autographs by interim coach Kyra Elzy, volleyball coach Craig Skinner, and gymnastics coach Tim Garrison.

Proceeds from the cutouts will benefit athlete scholarships and educational support.

___

The Texas A&M men’s basketball team won’t open the season at the Crossover Classic tournament in South Dakota because of concerns about the novel coronavirus.

The Aggies were scheduled to begin their season on Nov. 25 against No. 15 West Virginia in the tournament. Instead, they’ll play their season-opener at home on Nov. 29 against the University of New Orleans.

Texas A&M athletics director Ross Bjork said the decision was made after input from public health experts and the school’s medical team after seeing the rise in COVID-19 cases across the country, including in South Dakota.

Bjork said school officials felt it was “most prudent to stay in Texas and work to schedule a home game at Reed Arena.”

___
Evansville has replaced Southern Illinois as Louisville’s season-opening opponent on Nov. 25 in the Wade Houston Tipoff Classic.

The Purple Aces will also play Prairie View A&M in the nine-team event over 10 days.

SIU pulled out following a pause in team activities because of positive COVID-19 tests.

Evansville is the only team playing two games in the Tipoff Classic, which also features Seton Hall, Little Rock, UNC Greensboro, Duquesne, Western Kentucky and Winthrop.

The event will be 16 games instead of 17, and Louisville will play five games in the multi-team event, to be based at the KFC Yum! Center and adjacent Galt House Hotel.

___

Mississippi basketball coach Kermit Davis has tested positive for COVID-19 and could be sidelined when the season starts.

Ole Miss announced the positive test on Tuesday, saying if a follow-up test is also positive Davis will isolate at home and miss the Rebels’ first two games.

Ronnie Hamilton would serve as interim head coach for the home games Nov. 25 and Nov. 26 against Central Arkansas and Jackson State.

Davis would still be allowed to observe practice and communicate with the team virtually.

___

The Indiana Hoosiers will open basketball season this with empty stands.
School officials say they will remain empty indefinitely, though they plan to work with state and local health officials as well as Big Ten and campus leaders to determine when or if fans will be allowed into Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers pride themselves on having the nation’s largest basketball student section.

The university also will sell cutouts that will be placed in the seats. Packages start at $25 and one option includes having men’s coach Archie Miller or women’s coach Teri Moren autograph cutouts that will be sent back to the purchaser.

Ticket-holders can apply for refunds or find other options on the school’s varsity club website.

___

More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports