Categories
News Trending Viral Worldwide

LSU-Florida Has Been Postponed To December Due To A COVID Outbreak In The Gators’ Locker Room

The college football season is entering Week 6, but a constant theme thus far is the postponement or outright cancellation of games every week as a result of positive COVID-19 tests.

The SEC saw its first postponement earlier this week when Vanderbilt had to push back their game against Missouri due to an outbreak. On Tuesday, word emerged from Gainesville that the Florida Gators had 19 positive tests coming off of last Saturday’s loss on the road at Texas A&M, and on Wednesday the conference confirmed that the primetime showdown between Florida and LSU was being postponed to December 12.

Florida AD Scott Stricklin provided some details in a press conference on just how widespread their issue was with the virus, noting they had 18 scholarship players test positive along with three walk-ons, leaving them with barely over half of their roster available after contact tracing. He also said the trip to College Station last Saturday was likely a factor, and that some players thought they just had allergies and didn’t report symptoms prior to the trip.

That latter point is especially concerning because asking 18-22 year olds to self-report symptoms and pull themselves out of action is never going to fully work, because the kids want to play and, in fairness to them, the most basic symptoms of COVID-19 are, in fact, the same as allergies or a cold. That said, an abundance of caution is needed in this situation and when players don’t self-report and testing three times a week allows for gaps as the incubation period for the virus can be up to six days, the results can be an outbreak like what Florida is now dealing with even with reasonable protocols in place.

That it’s Florida dealing with this outbreak, mere days after coach Dan Mullen called for them to “pack The Swamp” with 90,000 fans after playing and losing at a loud Kyle Field that had questionable distancing protocols in place, has not been lost on anyone. Hopefully this will make Mullen recognize the severity of this situation and maybe change his tune a touch on trying to fill the entire stadium — as Florida’s governor has allowed for — and also hopefully those that have tested positive for Florida do not face severe symptoms or longterm complications.

This is not a problem unique to the Gators, however, as Ole Miss is dealing with an outbreak ahead of their game with Arkansas — coming off of a game with Alabama.

The SEC built extra bye weeks into the schedule to account for the potential for games needing to be moved, but so far I think we’ve seen far more games impacted than the conference hoped and it doesn’t seem to be stopping. Traveling is, without a doubt, one of the biggest issues they face in making football happen because if someone who has the virus but hasn’t tested positive yet is in the traveling party, it can spread swiftly through a team.