Auburn football pauses team activities after COVID outbreak

COLUMBIA, SC - OCTOBER 17: Head coach Gus Malzahn of the Auburn Tigers talks to Jamien Sherwood #20 on the sideline against the South Carolina Gamecocks during a game at Williams-Brice Stadium on October 17, 2020 in Columbia, South Carolina. The Gamecocks won 30-22. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, SC - OCTOBER 17: Head coach Gus Malzahn of the Auburn Tigers talks to Jamien Sherwood #20 on the sideline against the South Carolina Gamecocks during a game at Williams-Brice Stadium on October 17, 2020 in Columbia, South Carolina. The Gamecocks won 30-22. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Auburn football is dealing with a coronavirus outbreak that has resulted in a halt of team activities  

While everyone in the SEC is focusing on whether the LSU-Alabama game will be canceled or not due to the defending champions’ COVID-19 outbreak, Ed Orgeron’s squad isn’t the only team battling the virus. Unfortunately for Auburn, the Tigers are also dealing with an outbreak of their own.

On Tuesday, head coach Gus Malzahn revealed that double-digit members of the program have tested positive, with nine players and three staffers on the list. Because of this, all team activities have been paused.

Auburn football activities are on hold due to a virus outbreak

The Tigers were supposed to take on Mike Leach and Mississippi State this weekend, but that game has already been postponed because of an MSU outbreak. The two teams are scheduled to eventually meet on Dec. 12.

“Based on positive tests and those considered as close contacts, along with non-COVID injuries, we do not have the minimum number of scholarship student-athletes available for Saturday’s game against Auburn,” Mississippi State athletic director John Cohen said via a team statement. “While we are disappointed that Saturday’s game has been postponed, our priority is the health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes and staff.”

COVID-19 has started to really have a negative on college teams all over the country, with the SEC unfortunately getting hit hard over the past week. For Auburn, ranked the No. 24 team in the country, they’ll have the rest of the week off to try and get healthy before taking on Tennessee on Nov. 21.

It goes without saying, but if the cases continue to rise for the Tigers, or if Tennessee starts seeing positive cases, we may not see that game being played either.

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