COVID-19 sacks Florida-lsu game
Saturday’s college football game between Florida and LSU has been postponed, the Southeastern Conference announced Wednesday, after the Gators’ program was placed on hold Tuesday because of a number of positive coronavirus tests.
The game tentatively has been rescheduled for Dec. 12.
Florida initially announced Tuesday that five players received positive results in coronavirus tests administered through Monday. But both the Independent Alligator student newspaper and Orlando Sentinel reported Tuesday that the team had a total of 19 positive cases after further results were received Tuesday morning.
On Wednesday, Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin told reporters that 21 football players ( 18 on scholarship and three walkons) had tested positive. Because of that and other injuries, Stricklin said the Gators would have fewer than 50 scholarship players available to play LSU on Saturday. The SEC’S coronavirus guidelines for this season require teams to have at least 53 scholarship players available for games to happen.
Stricklin said the team’s trip to Texas A&M for a game last weekend was “the root” of the outbreak and told reporters that some players did not report having symptoms of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, before leaving on Friday. Stricklin said the players thought they were suffering from allergies.
“I really think it could be as simple as not understanding symptoms,” Stricklin said.
During a conference call Wednesday morning, Florida coach Dan Mullen revealed that two assistant coaches also had tested positive.
Players were not identified because of federal medical and student privacy laws.
LSU athletic director Scott Woodward said in a statement acknowledging the postponement: “We are in full support. It is disappointing for everyone, but prudent. We wish all those at Florida who may be impacted the very best.”
As of Tuesday, Texas A&M reported there had been no positive tests stemming from its game against Florida.
Mullen created a stir after Saturday’s loss when he called for Florida fans to “pack The Swamp” for the game against LSU. Attendance at college and pro games in Florida have been limited to a small percentage of capacity though Gov. Ron Desantis approved fully opening stadiums to fans late last month.
Attendance at the Gators’ home game against South Carolina two weeks ago was listed at 15,120 out of nearly 17,000 allowed by the school under early September guidelines. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, widely referred to as “The Swamp,” has a seating capacity of 88,548. Tailgating has been banned on the Florida campus and spirit teams and cheerleaders were not allowed on the sidelines. The Gator Walk, in which the team moves through a tunnel of fans as they walk from the buses to the stadium, also was halted. Fans were required to wear face masks, especially upon entering and leaving the football stadium.
Mullen wanted more, particularly after crediting the Texas A&M home crowd with helping the Aggies upset the Gators, 41-38, on a field goal as time expired. Kyle Field, one of the largest college football stadiums in the country, was approximately one-quarter full, with a crowd of around 25,000.
“I know our governor passed that rule so certainly, hopefully, the UF administration decides to let us pack The Swamp against LSU — 100 per cent — because that crowd was certainly a factor in the game,” Mullen said Saturday.