Texas Longhorns Football Team Pauses Activities Due to COVID-19
The Texas Longhorns football program is the latest to shut down activities in response to several players and staff members testing positive for COVID-19.
According to KXAN, three players and two staff members tested positive after returning to Austin following the team’s trip to Manhattan to take on Kansas State last weekend. The five members had tested negative on Friday prior to making the trip.
Texas will decide when to resume activities after testing is conducted on Monday and Tuesday. Head Coach Tom Herman typically holds a press conference on Monday. However, it’s been cancelled according to the athletics department.
This is the first time the football program has had positive tests since the season began in September. The team tests all players and staff for COVID-19 three times per week. Up until now, volleyball player Morgan O’Brien was the only UT athlete to test positive for the virus.
The Longhorns were supposed to play the Kansas Jayhawks on November 21, but that game was postponed to December 12 after the Jayhawks were unable to meet the Big 12’s position group minimums due to positive COVID-19 tests, contact tracing and injuries.
The Big 12 requires a minimum of 53 players for a game to move forward. The conference also has a minimum requirement of players at certain positions. For a team to play a game, they must have seven offensive linemen, four interior defensive linemen and at least one quarterback.
As of right now, Texas is scheduled to play Kansas in Lawrence this Saturday at 2:30 pm.