No Bowl

From the LA Times: After mulling the benefits and drawbacks of possibly participating in a bowl game for the first time since 2017, UCLA has decided to decline an invitation even if the Bruins beat Stanford on Saturday to gain postseason eligibility. The decision, which will be announced by the school later Thursday, comes after consultation with players as well as school and Pac-12 Conference officials, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to disclose the decision publicly. 

Coaches and school officials were eager to reward the Bruins (3-3) for their success this season and becoming only one of two Pac-12 teams to play every weekend. But the desire of many players to spend time with their families after the regular season ends Saturday, plus safety concerns and the lingering uncertainty over when and where a bowl game would be played and how COVID-19 testing and other safety protocols would be implemented, outweighed any longing for what might have been the Bruins’ first bowl game since the 2017 Cactus Bowl... 

Full story at https://www.latimes.com/sports/ucla/story/2020-12-17/ucla-football-no-bowl-game-decline-invitation