Rutgers place entire football program under quarantine after 10 COVID-19 cases

Rutgers place entire football program in quarantine.

Rutgers University takes action after 10 members of its football program test positive for COVID-19.

The Scarlet Knights announced on Saturday they are pausing all team activities and quarantining its entire football program. Six athletes have recently tested positive for COVID-19. Those six positive tests results come after four members of its football program tested positive shortly after the team resumed offseason workouts in mid June.

“We have paused all in-person team activities, quarantined our entire program and will work diligently with Rutgers medical experts, and state and local officials to determine next steps,” a Rutgers spokesman said in a statement.

This university isn’t alone when it comes to football programs suspending their workouts due to a COVID-19 outbreak. Thus far, there have been 13 teams who have suspended workouts due to the virus spreading.

After a second Michigan State staff member tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, the university announced their entire program would quarantine for 14 consecutive days.

With numerous outbreaks occurring early on during the offseason workout stage, the chances of NCAA college football starting on time or even happening seem bleak. Mix in traveling and physical contact in between teams with an active roster of up to 70 players on game day, the odds are stacked against NCAA football from carrying out a season this fall.

Speculation has circled that the NCAA 2020 football season could be postponed until the spring of 2021. This is something Junior college football is adapting along with Junior college basketball delayed until at least January. However, a change of this magnitude on a Division I level would require NCAA football working with the NFL on a framework so the timeline between their season’s end align with the 2021 NFL Draft and Scouting Combine. There are many moving parts but it may be imperative.