ESPN has cancelled College GameDay's trip to Syracuse on Saturday, according to Syracuse.com. The decision was made in light of the fatal crash that occurred Wednesday night involved Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim. "Due to the recent tragedy, and after careful consideration due to the celebratory nature of the show, ESPN’s College GameDay will originate from ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn., this weekend, instead of at Syracuse University,'' ESPN PR said in a statement. "We spoke with school officials and they understand the decision." Syracuse Director of Athletics John Wildhack released a statement Thursday evening regarding ESPN's decision. "We respect ESPN's decision to originate College GameDay from Bristol this weekend and appreciate their concern for our community during this difficult time," the statement said. A statement from the Syracuse Police Department via Syracuse.com described the incident: “As a result of that investigation so far, it was revealed that the victim was an occupant in a vehicle that had lost control on the highway striking a guard rail. The occupants then exited the vehicle and proceeded to walk on the highway within close proximity to that vehicle. An oncoming vehicle noticed the disabled car and tried avoiding the vehicle which was in the middle of the road. As a result, the driver, James Boeheim 74, of Fayetteville NY struck the victim who was standing on the side of the road. Both drivers remained on scene and are cooperating with this investigation. Field sobriety and alco-sensor tests for both drivers were negative for any signs of impairment. Reconstruction of the scene will be performed and speeds cannot be determined at this time. No Uniformed Traffic Tickets have been issued at this time." Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick told LocalSyr.com that Boeheim went to police headquarters right after the crash, Boeheim had no alcohol or drugs in his system and he was driving at an appropriate rate of speed at the time of the incident. In addition, Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim missed Thursday's practice after briefly meeting with his team, according to a new statement from Director of Athletics John Wildhack. "Our hearts go out to all those impacted by the tragic accident involving Coach Boeheim," Wildhack said in the statement issued late Thursday afternoon. "The Coach is heartbroken. Coach Boeheim met briefly with his team today but did not attend or participate in practice." Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim also released a statement on Thursday regarding the incident. “I am heartbroken that a member of our community died as the result of last night’s accident. Juli and I extend our deepest sympathies to the Jimenez family. Out of respect for those involved, I will not be providing further comment at this time.” Syracuse currently sits at 18-8 (9-4) on the season after Wednesday night's 20 point win over Louisville. They face No. 1 Duke in the Carrier Dome on Saturday. The game tips at 6:00 p.m. Eastern and is expected to set a new attendance record.<doc-sep>ESPN has cancelled its planned College GameDay visit to the Carrier Dome on Thursday afternoon after this morning’s news that Jim Boeheim was involved in an overnight accident that resulted in the death of 51-year-old Jorge Jimenez. The light-hearted College GameDay show wasn’t planned to include any players, and within days of the tragic death it would’ve been difficult to cast a fun atmosphere on a grief-stricken community. There’s still no indication on whether or not Boeheim will coach the Syracuse Orange against the Duke Blue Devils this Saturday. A source close to the coach has indicated he’s torn about doing so. The show was planned to air 11 a.m. to noon ET live from the Dome, but now will instead broadcast from ESPN’s Bristol, Conn. studios. “Due to the recent tragedy, and after careful consideration due to the celebratory nature of the show, ESPN’s College GameDay will originate from ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn., this weekend, instead of at Syracuse University. We spoke with school officials and they understand the decision,” ESPN said in a statement. Syracuse Police Dept. released more information regarding the incident in an afternoon press conference. According to a source, Boeheim addressed team this afternoon but did not run the practice. SU last hosted GameDay in 2014. ESPN’s Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas and Maria Taylor will broadcast the game starting at 6 p.m.<doc-sep>“The Jimenez family has suffered a tremendous loss,” Wildhack said in a statement. “Our community is shaken. The Boeheim family is heartbroken over what happened, as we all are. This is a very difficult time. I know that Coach Boeheim’s players gain strength from him, just as he gains strength from his players. Our entire community gains strength from each other. With this in mind, and after thoughtful consideration, I have respectfully decided that Coach Boeheim will resume his coaching duties later today and will coach in tomorrow night’s game against Duke. We continue to extend our deepest sympathies to the Jimenez family as they continue to mourn this tragic loss.”<doc-sep>
Syracuse, N.Y. -- ESPN officials have decided to cancel Saturday’s scheduled broadcast of College GameDay from the Carrier Dome in light of Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim’s involvement in a fatal car accident late Wednesday night. ESPN’s College GameDay had been scheduled to air from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday at the Carrier Dome. Instead of coming to Syracuse, an ESPN official said GameDay would broadcast from the network’s studios in Bristol, Conn. "Due to the recent tragedy, and after careful consideration due to the celebratory nature of the show, ESPN’s College GameDay will originate from ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn., this weekend, instead of at Syracuse University,'' read a statement sent out ESPN media relations representative Anna Negron. "We spoke with school officials and they understand the decision.'' In a statement shortly after ESPN’s announcement, Syracuse Director of Athletics John Wildhack said: “We respect ESPN’s decision to originate College GameDay from Bristol this weekend and appreciate their concern for our community during this difficult time.” Boeheim was driving home on Interstate 690 East in Syracuse following the Orange’s game against Louisville late Wednesday night when he struck Jorge Jimenez. Jimenez was a passenger in a car that had been involved in a previous accident. He and the other three people had gotten out of his car. ESPN will still broadcast Saturday’s game between Syracuse and Duke. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. ESPN’s Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas and Maria Taylor will be on the game. Follow Syracuse basketball on Twitter and Facebook