The Canadian Football League’s 2020 edition of Touchdown Atlantic has been cancelled.
The CFL made the announcement in a news release Wednesday.
“The only thing deeper than our regret is our resolve to return to Atlantic Canada,” CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie said in a statement.
READ MORE: CFL announces its 2020 Touchdown Atlantic game in Halifax has been sold out
“It pains us that this pandemic is preventing us from showing our friends in Nova Scotia, in person, just how saddened we are by the senseless tragedy they have been forced to bear, and how much we admire their strength.”
Ambrosie said the league will directly reach out to the fans who have purchased tickets.
The game between the Toronto Argonauts and Saskatchewan Roughriders was scheduled to take place on July 25 at Saint Mary’s University’s Huskies Stadium.
On March 11, the league announced all 10,000 tickets were sold. The game was slated to be preceded by a three-day “mini Grey Cup festival,” a series of media events and community visits by both teams.
Ambrosie also announced the earliest the CFL will return to play is this September. He said a final decision will not be made until government lets them know it’s safe for players and fans.
READ MORE: Halifax council agrees to spend $20M on CFL stadium
“We know there is a great deal of interest in whether we might play with or without fans, or with social distancing rules in place,” he said. “We are examining all possibilities with both public safety and financial viability in mind.
“It’s just too soon to speculate on what a return to play in September might look like.”