Troy vs. South Alabama football game canceled due to Covid-19

The Battle for The Belt between the Troy Trojans and South Alabama Jaguars won’t happen on Saturday, as USA has halted practice due to Covid-19.

“We are obviously disappointed for our team but certainly respect this decision,” Director of Athletics Brent Jones said. “This is a tremendous rivalry game for both teams and fan bases, and I appreciate South Alabama Athletics Director Joel Erdmann and the Sun Belt Conference for their open lines of communication during this process. We look forward to welcoming our great fans back to The Vet on Oct. 10 when we host Texas State in our home opener.”

Troy, South Alabama and the Sun Belt Conference will work together to determine if there is a mutual date that the game could be rescheduled later in the season.

Troy will now turn its focus to its home opener against Texas State on Oct. 10 at Veterans Memorial Stadium; kickoff is set for 11 a.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN2.

The schools are separated by about three hours driving distance, and this is the only cross-divisional “protected” rivalry in the Sun Belt Conference, meaning the teams are guaranteed to play each season despite being in separate divisions. The Trojans have won five of the eight games played in the series including the last two, all of which have taken place since the Jaguars joined the Sun Belt in 2012.

Troy was to be a 5.5 point favorite on the road in Mobile.