Not only has the Ohio State football team’s voluntary workouts been shelved, but so too have all fall sports activities according to a release from the university’s athletic department Wednesday.
The Buckeye program does not share cumulative testing results because “it could lead to the identification of specific individuals and compromise their medical privacy,” but it’s clear that there must have been enough positive COVID-19 test results to make such a drastic move.
It is important to note that this is not a cancellation, but a pause. Workouts could theoretically resume after quarantine and retesting puts things in a better position. There is no timetable for on-campus voluntary workouts to resume, but Bucknuts’ Dave Biddle first broke the story and cites sources saying the pause will be at least one week. That would be through July 15 if true.
From the university:
“If a student-athlete tests positive for COVID-19, he/she will self-isolate for at least 14 days and receive daily check-ups from the Department of Athletics medical staff. Student-athletes living alone will isolate in their residence. If they have roommates, they will self-isolate in a designated room on campus.”
In all, seven teams’ workouts will be affected by the pause: men’s and women’s basketball, field hockey, football, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball.
This comes on the heels of the Ivy League voting to cancel all fall sports activities and games because of the pandemic. We’ll have to see how this all plays out for Ohio State and other programs and conferences as we move forward.
