Kansas football: Suspension of Summer workouts the right call
It only seemed like a matter of time until Kansas football would have to suspend their voluntary workouts, and that time has come.
As college football teams across the nation attempted to start their Summer workouts, the coronavirus pandemic has predictably begun to work its way through each team. From UCLA to Texas, to Clemson, fighting off the virus has proven difficult, and Kansas football is the latest team to be hit.
Kansas AD Jeff Long announced last Friday that all sports would be halted for the foreseeable future:
"“After the increase in positive COVID-19 tests within our football program, our medical team at Kansas Team Health has recommended discontinuing voluntary workouts immediately. Our priority remains to keep our student-athletes safe and healthy, especially during this pandemic, and will follow the recommendations of our medical professionals.”"
At the end of the day, this was definitely the right call by the Kansas Athletics Department. Protecting the athletes, coaches, trainers, and other staff should be every athletic director’s number one priority, but it goes deeper than that. The quicker we put an end to this virus, the quicker sports like college football can go back to normal.
Long said that the athletes will be tested again on July 17. With any luck, the football team along with other Fall sports teams will be able to resume their voluntary Summer workouts and prepare themselves for their upcoming seasons.
Kansas football head coach Les Miles detailed the plan for the infected athletes during the two week period:
"“Our trainers and doctors will remain in daily contact with each of the student-athletes that tested positive to support them and what we hope will involve only minor symptoms if any. We will follow medical recommendations on returning to activities.”"
As college football teams across the nation deal with the virus and its impacts, one positive that could possibly come out of the situation is an effective playbook on who teams can deal with multiple positive cases.
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If teams can find some way to combat the virus, it may just be enough to secure a college football season in 2020.