Boise State football halts practice as campus closes after coronavirus outbreak

Boise State football puts a stop to practice because of a COVID-19 outbreak.

Boise State football has stopped practicing because of a coronavirus outbreak on campus.

The Boise State Broncos have suspended voluntary workouts after eight players tested positive for the coronavirus. Their positive tests have led to the Boise State University campus being closed for the rest of the week after these results were released on Monday.

“This is difficult, but our overall goal remains the same — keeping our community, campus, student-athletes and staff safe through these challenging times,” said Boise State athletic director Curt Apsey. “I’m very appreciative of the way our department has stepped up to provide the safest environment within our facilities for our entire staff and student-athletes.”

Boise State football is the preeminent athletic program in the state of Idaho. The Broncos are routinely one of the better teams in the Mountain West and one of the likeliest contenders to play in a New Year’s Six bowl game out of the Group of 5. So when Boise State shuts down, people take notice.

Boise State has suspended voluntary workouts due to a coronavirus outbreak.

In the College Football Playoff era, head coach Bryan Harsin’s team has averaged 10.4 wins a season. The Broncos have finished ranked inside the top-25 of the final AP Poll four times in the last six years. In 2014, the Broncos won the Fiesta Bowl over the Arizona Wildcats en route to a No. 16 overall finish. Boise State has won three of the last six Mountain West championships.

In the Group of 5, Boise State stands as one of a few teams who could get into the New Year’s Six this year, along with some of the better teams out of the American Athletic Conference like the Cincinnati Bearcats and the UCF Knights. Though it’s only voluntary workouts, it’s still time the Boise State players aren’t going to get back. They can overcome this, but a shutdown doesn’t help.

Idaho has been one of the least impacted states in the country by the coronavirus. The state has yet to have 100 deaths as a result of the global pandemic. Yet for one of the state’s major universities to close because eight players tested positive for the virus, it shows us all how seriously Boise State is taking the global pandemic.

Boise State suspending voluntary workouts and shutting down the campus is concerning.

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