Stamford Academy will not go it alone. With co-op football partner Wright Tech a victim of the state budget deficit, Stamford Academy athletic director Bob Festo said the school cannot pick up the tab for football, and will not field a team this season.

Festo said in an e-mail that the decision was made for the school yesterday, a day after all CIAC-sanctioned teams were able to start practicing.

“The sole cost factors, coaching staff, late closing of Wright Tech by the state, equipment issues all played into the schools decision,” Festo said in an e-mail.

The decision means two Fairfield County teams that compete in the Constitution State Conference – Bullard-Havens Tech of Bridgeport and Abbott Tech of Danbury, now have bye weeks to fill, should they choose.

First-year varsity program Abbott Tech now has a huge hole in its schedule. It has a three-week gap between its Sept. 26 game at Sports Medicine Sciences Academy and its October 17 game at Wilcox Tech.

After opening its season against Abbott Tech, Bullard-Havens has a one-week furlough before it hosts Prince Tech.