(Editor's note: Portland State Athletics releases.)
PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland State will return to competition this Saturday with a game at Boise State. The Vikings will be playing a second FBS-level opponent in three games as part of the most challenging schedule in school history. Game time is 7:45 p.m. Mountain time at Albertsons Stadium in Boise. The game will be televised on FS1.
In one of the most bizarre and unfortunate situations in program history, Portland State's game with South Dakota last Saturday was canceled. Illness within the Vikings' program and the potential ramifications for both teams was the cause. PSU has been taking appropriate measures to get healthy and get back on the field of competition.
As a result of the canceled game, the Vikings (0-2) will now play four consecutive road games to open the season. It marks the first time since 1989 that PSU has played four games in a row on the road within a season.
Portland State's football game against South Dakota, scheduled for this past Saturday, was canceled as a precautionary measure following the diagnosis of a PSU team member with pertussis (whooping cough). The decision to cancel was made after thorough consultations between the administrations of both universities and the team physicians, prioritizing the health and safety of student-athletes and their communities.
The diagnosis for the one individual was confirmed Thursday evening, with several additional PSU players exhibiting symptoms of upper respiratory illness, though they had not yet been officially diagnosed at the time of the game. Multiple players were in close contact with the infected individual.
Portland State team physicians, Dr. Melissa Novak and Dr. Jacqueline Brady, who are employed by Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Sports Medicine, are working in close collaboration with the Multnomah County Health Department and the Oregon Health Authority. Together, they are ensuring the safety of the PSU community as well as the teams and universities PSU will compete against in the future.
As a precaution, all PSU players who may have been exposed to the illness have begun a five-day course of antibiotics, under the guidance of our OHSU medical professionals. These measures are expected to be completed in time for the team's next scheduled game at Boise State on September 21. Only athletes and staff who have completed the antibiotic regimen will be eligible to travel and participate in the upcoming game.
