College Football

Battle for the Iron Skillet Postponed Due to Positive COVID-19 Tests

TCU and SMU were scheduled to play on Friday, Sept. 11

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The on-again, off-again Battle for the Iron Skillet between TCU and SMU is off again due to COVID-19 cases in the Horned Frogs' football program, the university's athletic director says.

The schools will "monitor dates throughout the season" in an attempt to reschedule the game, originally slated for Sept. 11, TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati said in a statement.

When the teams' initial schedules were released, the game was to be played Sept. 26. The Big 12 then adjusted its non-conference schedule in early August, canceling the game. However, the schools announced on Aug. 15 that the game would be played after all.

The contest would have marked the 100th meeting between the Dallas-Fort Worth rivals.

Donati said both student-athletes and support staff had tested positive for the coronavirus, but no one was facing serious health issues as of Friday.

In 2019, Shane Buchele lead SMU to a 41-38 win, ending a seven-game losing streak for the Mustangs in the rivalry.

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Before that loss, the Horned Frogs had won 11 out of 12 of the previous matchups.

According to TCU's COVID-19 dashboard, the university had 244 active cases of COVID-19 Friday, down from a high of 447 on Aug. 28.

SMU's first game is Saturday against Texas State, while TCU's first game will now be Sept. 26 against Iowa State.

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