After several days of wondering and looking at reports, it appears the Friday night game between Washington State and Cal in Berkeley is going to kick off.
The Pac-12 issued a statement around 4:25 p.m. PT about the status of the game, which was threatened to be delayed or postponed due to hazardous air quality as the result of fires in the Bay Area this week:“Student-athlete safety and the safety of fans attending the game and workers operating on-site continues to drive the decision making for the Conference and our institutions. UC Berkeley is working closely with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to monitor local conditions and forecasts, as well as with the university medical personnel to monitor and assess the situation.
In consultation between the Conference office and the athletics department staffs at California and Washington State, as of 3:30 p.m. PT, it was agreed that tonight’s game will be played as scheduled.
The conditions will continue to be monitored through game time. "
Air quality in the East Bay was listed at 167 about three hours prior to kickoff, within the NCAA limit of 200 that would have put the game in jeopardy. While the number may be in the acceptable range, the air is by no means clear and is considered ‘unhealthy’ by federal officials -- which means “Everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion.”
That could be an issue for the two teams as the night goes on and they try to play a football game.