SJSU paying $100-150K for football visit
A San Jose State University is spending at least $100,000 on the football team’s temporary stay at Humboldt State University.
“Based on current projections relative to length of stay at HSU, SJSU estimates expenses — including meals, housing, use of their facilities, and round trip bus fare — will fall between $100,000-$150,000,” SJSU’s senior director of media relations Kenneth Mashinchi told the Times-Standard in an email on Wednesday. “All costs for temporarily relocating to HSU will be paid for through the SJSU Athletics’ budget, similar to all football expenditures.”
SJSU relocated 141 players, coaches and personnel from its football team, which arrived at HSU on Oct. 2, so it could hold training camp. The team will stay at HSU for about two weeks.
SJSU, in Santa Clara County, is not allowed to practice due to coronavirus restrictions imposed by the county.
SJSU’s opener is scheduled for Oct. 24 against Air Force at its home field in Santa Clara County, which has yet to approve sporting events such as football games to take place. SJSU plays in the Mountain West Conference and is the only team in the conference which exists in a county not yet permitting activities such as fullcontact football practice.
When asked Monday during a press conference whether SJSU would consider playing its homeopener at the Redwood Bowl, SJSU head coach Brent Brennan said, “Those are decisions made by people more important than the football coach. … We’d love to play at home, you only get so many opportunities to do that. … But if that’s not available, and Humboldt is an option, we’d love to play here.”
SJSU and HSU announced their partnership on Sept. 30 without seeking input or giving prior warning to the Humboldt County’s health department, according to public health officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich.
“Public Health was not a part of the decision-making process,” Frankovich said in a video last week.
Brennan on Monday said his team’s “protocols are a lot more stringent than what the general community has. … We’ve conducted over 1,000 (COVID-19) tests so far, we do multiple temperature checks every day and our (personnel) fill out daily health questionnaires.”
SJSU personnel are staying in separate dorms from the around 800 HSU students living on campus, and are remaining in a teamonly bubble according to Brennan.
Brennan said his players “have never been around nature like this,” and that it’s “much different walking through redwoods than it is walking through the skyscrapers of downtown San Jose.”