The Wisconsin football program has reported more COVID-19 cases as the total sits at 22.
The Wisconsin Badgers are dealing with more COVID-19 cases. The team had to cancel this weekend’s game against Nebraska due to a surge of positive tests.
Next week’s game against Purdue could potentially be in jeopardy due to even more cases. The figure was at 16 as of Thursday, but athletic director Barry Alvarez appeared on College GameDay and said the number is now up to 22. Specifically, there are 12 student-athletes, including starting quarterback Graham Mertz, who are positive with 10 more staff members who have tested positive.
Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez shares that COVID-19 cases have risen to 22 within the program. pic.twitter.com/DeQ1SPPR6F
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) October 31, 2020
Paul Chryst can return if he remains symptom-free this week
The Badgers would have already been down to their fourth-string quarterback if they had to play this weekend. Big Ten players are mandated to sit out 21 days following a positive test, so the Badgers would still be down a ton of talent if they could play against Purdue.
Alvarez did mention they will wait until Tuesday to make a final decision on that game. From a football standpoint, this is unfortunate because the program looked like a serious College Football Playoff contender. Now they will be hoping to just play games if the cases keep coming.
Some good news is that head coach Paul Chryst is eligible to return Nov. 5 if he is symptom-free. Coaches don’t face the 21-day rule that players face in order to check for potential heart issues from the virus.
The Big Ten has ruled that a team must play at least six games to be eligible for the Big Ten Championship Game. Wisconsin has played one so far and can finish with seven if they play Purdue and have no further issues.
Getting positive cases down to zero is going to be the goal before the team can even worry about games. That is just the reality of having a season in 2020.
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