KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The University of Kansas football team has suspended voluntary workouts due to an uptick in positive COVID-19 tests in the program.
All football student-athletes and staff also are being encouraged to self-quarantine for 14 days. Once the two weeks has ended, everyone in the program will be retested to determine whether workouts can resume.
Student-athletes will be allowed to self-quarantine at their current housing location.
“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,” Kansas Director of Athletics Jeff Long said in a statement. “Our priority remains to keep our student-athletes safe and healthy, especially during this pandemic, and will follow the recommendations of our medical professionals.”
Head coach Les Miles said “events outside of our control” made it necessary to pause the workouts.
“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,” Miles said in the statement. “We will follow medical recommendations on returning to activities.”
On Friday morning, the KU Athletics Department said 16 student-athletes had tested positive, including 12 in the football program and four in other sports. Currently, 45 student-athletes are in quarantine among all KU sports teams.
