Cal Poly's football game at McNeese State canceled

This article was posted at 10:55 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008.

Because of potential effects of Hurricane Ike on Lake Charles, La., Cal Poly’s football game there Saturday night against McNeese State was canceled by school officials Thursday morning.

“This decision was made in the interest of safety for our fans,” McNeese State president Robert Hebert said in a news release.

Cal Poly, now with only 10 games on its schedule, and needing at least seven wins for playoff consideration, is searching to add an opponent on either of its bye dates – Sept. 27 and Oct. 11.

The Mustangs, though, tried desperately to schedule a coveted 12th opponent to fill out their schedule before announcing it earlier this year, and couldn’t find one willing to play, despite the efforts of athletic director Alison Cone, who said she contacted every Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA – in which Cal Poly plays) school in the country, to no avail.

“I am in conversations with a school that shares one of our bye dates and trying to secure another game,” Cone said in the release. “We should know more next week.”

The Mustangs are scheduled to play at Northwestern State in Natchitoches, La. at 5 p.m. Sept. 20.

While officials scramble to find a 12th game, Mustangs head coach Rich Ellerson said he’ll treat the unforeseen snag like an ordinary bye week.

“This becomes another bye week for us and we’ll structure this week as such, taking some extra time to prepare for Northwestern State,” he said in the release. “There are other teams that have lost games. It will be OK.”