A college football game scheduled for this Saturday was canceled just three hours before kickoff following an apparently troubling outbreak.
Portland State was due to play South Dakota on the day but had to call things off as the program revealed they were dealing with a surge of pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough.
Of course, this is a surprising reason for canceling a sporting event in 2024, given that the illness is around 450 years old, but the Vikings have opted to forego the contest in the interest of their players’ health.
“A case of pertussis (whooping cough) got into the Viking team two days ago,” they said in a statement. “Pertussis is a highly contagious disease that affects the lungs. As a result, many team members have been exposed to the disease. The two programs and their team doctors have been in discussions regarding the situation.
“It was determined by Portland State that the game would not be played in the interest of the health of the student-athletes.”
On Portland State canceling a game to *whooping cough* in 2024. pic.twitter.com/jm0Jq1dL6X
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) September 14, 2024
They also promised to provide information on ticketing and refunds later on.
This Has To Be A First For College Football
It is unheard of for a college football game, or any game, to be called off due to whooping cough.
On a brighter note, the school revealed that no one on the roster was seriously ill.
PSU lost its first two games of the season, getting blown out 70-30 by Washington State in their opener late last month before losing to Weber State 43-16 last weekend.
South Dakota has won one and lost one to start the campaign, with Winsconsin defeating them 27-13 last weekend after they kicked things off with a 45-3 win over Northern State.
