Arizona will not schedule another game before its Pac-12 opener against Colorado on Wednesday, after exploring potential replacements for Sunday's canceled game with UTEP, the school confirmed Saturday.
Ryan Reynolds, UA's director of basketball operations, said UA had some discussions with other schools but could not find a suitable opponent that had the days off. The only nearby nonconference opponents, GCU and temporarily Phoenix-based New Mexico State, had games this weekend, so UA would have had to attract another team from California or farther away.
GCU is playing Benedictine Mesa on Saturday while NMSU is playing Arizona Christian on Sunday.
"Very quick turnaround from Friday night / Saturday morning to a Sunday game," Reynolds said. "Logistically, not easy for people to get here."
The Wildcats also had their scheduled season opener against NAU canceled because of a positive test within the Lumberjacks' program, but Reynolds said the program is still aiming to play the maximum of seven nonconference games.Β
Among other dates, UA has the weekend of Dec. 11-13 wide open after it and Illinois mutually agreed to push their game scheduled to be played in Champaign, Ill., to next season.
UTEP does not have a game on its schedule that weekend and said in its news release that it and Arizona were discussing a possible rescheduling.
