The entire Michigan State football team entered a 14-day quarantine period following more positive tests for the coronavirus, the school announced Friday.
On Wednesday, the Spartans paused workouts after one staff member tested positive. A second staffer and one player tested positive on Thursday. “As part of the athletic department’s return to campus policy, student-athletes quarantine when coming into close contact with an individual who tests positive for COVID-19,” the school said in a release. “The university has designated areas available to house individuals in quarantine as needed based upon the living arrangements for student-athletes.”
NCAA guidelines released last week called for a 14-day quarantine for players who have been in “high-risk” contact with anyone who has tested positive. High-risk contact is defined as being within 6 feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes in which one or more individuals are not wearing masks.
Friday was the first day of the NCAA-approved “enhanced summer access period” for college football teams. Teams are allowed up to 20 hours per week. That includes up to eight hours per week for weight training, conditioning and film review, and no more than one hour per day for meetings and one hour per day for walk-throughs.
Michigan State is scheduled to open the 2020 season at home on Sept. 5 against Northwestern. The Big Ten could adjust the calendar, however, based on adopting a conference-only schedule because of the pandemic.
–Field Level Media ()