no texas bowl

TCU's bowl game in Houston gets sidelined due to COVID-19 concerns

TCU was set to take on Arkansas at NRG Stadium.

TCU Athletics/Facebook

There'll be no bowl game for TCU this year, as organizers of the Mercari Texas Bowl in Houston canceled the game on December 29, citing an increased number of positive COVID-19 tests within the Horned Frogs' football program.

The TCU Horned Frogs were set to battle the Arkansas Razorbacks on December 31 at Houston's NRG Stadium.

TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati said in a Facebook post December 29 that he was “disappointed” in the news and “heartbroken” for their student athletes, coaches, and staff, but that — in the past 24 hours, between COVID-related issues, injuries, and other circumstances — the team had "fallen below the established Big 12 threshold of availability" that they had abided by all season. According to the Star-Telegram, that threshold calls for 53 players to be eligible, including at least seven offensive linemen, four defensive linemen, and one quarterback.

"While we have experienced these issues all season, the past 24 hours have been too much to overcome on such short notice for Thursday's game," he said.

Meanwhile, Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman said this was “a tough way to end our season.”

Fans who purchased tickets for the game will be issued a refund by the outlet they were purchased through, including Ticketmaster.

“While we’re disappointed in canceling this year’s game, we look forward to hosting both the Texas Kickoff and Texas Bowl next season,” said the event’s executive director, David Fletcher, in statement by ESPN Events and Lone Star Sport Entertainment.

Mercari’s Texas Bowl is the latest college football COVID casualty. As CultureMap news partner ABC13 notes, the TransPerfect Music City Bowl was also canceled after the Missouri Tigers pulled out of the game due to their own rise in COVID-19 cases.

At least local college football fans still have the Rose Bowl, which has moved out of California and into AT&T Stadium in Arlington on New Year's Day. The Cotton Bowl will still be played at AT&T Stadium on December 30.

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Best neighborhoods for Christmas lights lead Fort Worth's top 5 stories

Photo by Stacy Luecker

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Editor's note: Christmas is just around the corner, and Fort Worth is in the holiday spirit. This week's most-read stories include a complete guide to DFW's best neighborhoods for Christmas lights, plus where to eat and drink during the holiday season.Catch up on the five hottest headlines of the week below.

Looking for the best Fort Worth events of the weekend? We have those here.

1. Best Fort Worth-area neighborhoods for magical 2024 Christmas lights. Fort Worth-area residents have decked their halls, merry and bright, for the holiday season. Homes, streets, and entire subdivisions are dazzling with lights so spectacular, they can be seen from the North Pole. Here is our expert guide to the best neighborhoods for a Christmas light pilgrimage during the 2024 holiday season. For a longer list of spectacular Fort Worth Christmas lights, check out this story.

2. Where to drink in Fort Worth right now: 14 bars oozing Christmas cheer. The holiday pop-up trend has erupted across the country as more and more bars jump on the bandwagon every year. Consumers are craving a big dose of Christmas cheer in the form of over-the-top decor, Christmas music, and Christmas-inspired cocktails. Stress of the season got you down? Here are 14 bars in Fort Worth that are making spirits bright.

Curfew Christmas cocktails at Curfew. Curfew Bar/Facebook

3. Where to eat in Fort Worth: 9 restaurants to take your holiday guests. The holidays draw near and for many of us, that means one thing: family’s coming to town. Cook your heart out for them, yes, but take advantage of Fort Worth’s thriving restaurant scene and show off some of our city’s finest places to eat.

4. Novel Thai restaurant in north Fort Worth comes with its own market. A mom-and-pop Thai restaurant in north Fort Worth comes with a unique twist: Called Bangkok Thai Street Food & Market, it’s a restaurant serving traditional Thai food but also a market selling all sorts of goods, from cooking ingredients to clothing to household gear.

5. Grab subs and pizza at new family-owned Lunch Break Cafe in Fort Worth. A well-regarded cafe serving sub sandwiches has risen in east Fort Worth: Called The Lunch Break Cafe, it’s a family-owned restaurant that opened in early December at 7251 Stoneway Dr. N. 400, in the former Riverbend Bistro space at River Bend Plaza.