COLUMBUS, Ohio _ Ohio State will permit voluntary workouts in football and six other varsity sports to restart on Wednesday after they had been briefly suspended following multiple positive COVID-19 tests among athletes.
The school said its decision to restart workouts followed a round of testing conducted the previous day among all athletes in seven sports _ football, men's and women's basketball, field hockey, men's and women's soccer and women's volleyball.
Aggregate testing numbers have not been disclosed by Ohio State, which has cited privacy reasons. Without figures, it is not known if any more athletes tested positive this week.
In a statement, athletic director Gene Smith said the athletes would be further tested on a routine basis and the safety of the workouts would continue to be re-evaluated.
"Our Buckeyes are excited to be headed into a new school year and were disappointed last week when we had to temporarily suspend training," Smith said.
"These young people come from across the nation and the world to be part of our Ohio State family, and we do everything we can to create a safe, healthy environment so that they have a chance to study and compete. Our medical team will continue to evaluate, and we will share decisions as we move forward."
Athletes who test positive for COVID-19 are required to self-isolate for at least 14 days, either at their home or a designated room on campus if they have a roommate.
Football players first returned for on-campus voluntary workouts on June 8 when Ohio State reopened the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and Schumaker Complex for use, before men's and women's basketball players were back the following week.
Athletes from field hockey, men's and women's soccer and women's volleyball returned June 22.
When Ohio State halted voluntary workouts on July 8, it became the first Big Ten school to suspend its offseason training program. Maryland took the same step three days later when it announced that nine athletes and staff members had tested positive for COVID-19.
On Monday, the NCAA allowed football teams to transition from voluntary workouts to mandatory activities with coaches that include walk-throughs, weight training, conditioning and film study.
Eight hours of organized team activities is permitted under rules from the college sports governing body, which expanded the preseason calendar last month.
No date has been established for when the Buckeyes might begin mandatory activities.
