New Mexico State has postponed its football season until the spring because of the coronavirus pandemic, it was announced Thursday.
"This decision was not made lightly," NMSU president John Floros said in a statement. "It was particularly hard for many of us who like college sports and want to see our Aggies play. But by putting the safety, health and well-being of our student-athletes, our coaches and our staff first, it became an easy decision to make."
The team was informed of the decision Thursday morning.
New Mexico State's decision comes after the program paused football activities last week following a positive COVID-19 test. The Aggies play as an FBS independent and join other independents such as UConn and UMass in making the decision to not play this fall.
Another complicating factor for playing football this fall was the state's travel restrictions, which state that anyone who leaves New Mexico must quarantine for 14 days upon returning home.
The Big Ten and Pac-12 have both postponed football until the spring.
On Tuesday, the Big 12 announced that it was moving forward with plans to play in the fall, along with the SEC and ACC.