DePaul’s game at Iowa State on Sunday has been canceled because of a positive Covid-19 test within the Blue Demons’ program. 

The Blue Demons have now had five games either canceled or postponed because Covid-19 protocols. Sunday’s game against Iowa State was supposed to be the team’s season opener after being shut down from Nov. 19-Nov. 29. 

“While we would have enjoyed playing tonight’s game, we must follow COVID-19 protocols to ensure the safety of the student-athletes, coaches, and staffs of both programs,” DePaul athletic director DeWayne Peevy said in a statement. “I would like to thank the administration and medical personnel at Iowa State for their communication and understanding during this situation and wish them the best this season.

 “This is disappointing for all of us. I know our players were excited to start the season today and our fans were looking forward to seeing the team play. We’ll continue to be flexible to gauge whether we can add any non-conference games to our BIG EAST schedule and I ask everyone to maintain patience as we move forward this season.”

Last week, the team postponed its game against Northern Illinois on Dec. 3 because DePaul’s medical staff wanted the team to have the necessary conditioning before returning to action. 

The women’s basketball team’s game against Xavier on Sunday was also canceled because of a positive test inside the Musketeers’ program. 

DePaul is next scheduled to play at Seton Hall on Dec. 11 in the Big East opener. But it’s still to be determined if the Blue Demons will have to pause team activities again with the most recent positive test result.

Update (Dec. 6, 2020): This story has been updated to include a statement from DePaul athletic director DeWayne Peevy.