This weekend will be busy, with many people getting ready to gather with friends and family - some excited to catch one of the big games scheduled to take place.

But for many, COVID-19 is spoiling plans altogether or at least, forcing people to rethink their agendas. 

Two Florida teams won't face off in South Florida this weekend in the Orange Bowl Classic. FSU's COVID protocols have canceled the men's basketball game against UCF on Saturday. 

And while many fans are holding out hope as UCF men's hoops seeks out another potential opponent that could take FSU's place, others are disappointed that they won't see their team play. 

UCF sophomore Elijah Leb said he usually gets to catch a lot of the games and was looking forward to watching Saturday's matchup. 

“I work the basketball games, I work ticketing for UCF. So I’m working the first half of every single game and I usually stay and watch. But I’m happy they’re taking proper protocol,” Leb said. "There hasn't been any protocol so far, at least for us so far with us, the people around the stadium. With the team I know it's different. But when it comes to the workers surrounding, I know it's a different story, no mask mandate, no anything like that. I understand that it spreads quickly so I'm happy they're taking protocol."

UCF's game against FSU is just the latest in a series of major sporting events to be canceled or delayed following COVID-19 outbreaks. The NFL announced Friday that it's pushing back three games due to coronavirus.

New COVID-19 case numbers are rising nationally. The U..S is now averaging 118,000 new cases a day. That’s 40% higher than a month ago, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. 

Infectious diseases specialist Dr. Michael Muszynski said the delta variant is still rampant. And now, omicron is creeping up, expected to soon become the most dominant COVID-19 strain in the US. 

“So far, it’s looking pretty good that it’s not as bad maybe as delta was, but it spreads faster, infects more people more quickly. It doubles every two days within the population that’s susceptible. And that susceptible population is by and large the unvaccinated. So the unvaccinated will fuel this fire,” Muszynski said. 

Dr. Muszynski said data is showing that vaccinations, especially paired with that booster dose, are proving effective against omicron and delta, preventing hospitalization and death in many. 

For sports fans like Leb, he said while he’s not worried himself about getting seriously sick from coronavirus, he wants to make sure protections are in place for those who are immunocompromised.  He said he's happy to see teams taking COVID-19 safety seriously, putting health before the game. 

“It is a bummer," Leb said. "It’s always a bummer when you can’t watch your favorite team. But it is what it is, I think it’s the right call."

On Friday, UCF announced it would still be making the trip to South Florida in hopes of finding a replacement opponent to play tomorrow. Currently, the Knights are no longer expected to play. ​