13 University of Texas football players test positive for coronavirus - The Texas Tribune

Just four days after University of Texas at Austin began voluntary summer workouts for the football team, school officials confirmed 13 athletes have tested positive for the new coronavirus.

All 13 players are now self-isolating, while 10 other student-athletes are in self-quarantine and are asymptomatic, according to a Thursday press release. Last week, UT reported two players were self-isolating after testing positive.

The university also said four players have tested positive for antibodies. No athletes have been identified.

The players who have tested positive are presumably upperclassmen, whose workouts began Monday. In a Wednesday report, athletics director Chris Del Conte said the second group of players, who are underclassmen, are slated to begin workouts June 22. UT athletics officials did not immediately say whether workouts would be suspended.

Del Conte said players were required to conduct testing, physicals and COVID-19 safety training before participating in workouts, which began for the first time Monday since university activities were shut down and students were sent home in March.

"We did have some student-athletes test positive for COVID-19 and are following all of our protocols, policies and procedures for self-isolation, contact tracing and management of those affected," Del Conte wrote. "We will continue to report the number of cases as we receive confirmation and clearance to do so."

Across Texas, universities are seeing more student athletes testing positive for COVID-19 just days or weeks after being given clearance to return to campus. At the University of Houston, at least six athletes were confirmed positive last week, after beginning workouts June 1. The university has suspended all workouts, the Houston Chronicle reported.

An unidentified number of student athletes at Texas Tech University also received positive test results earlier this week. And at Texas A&M University, nearly five players have tested positive after returning to campus June 9, though local media reported that number has increased this week.

But athletics officials are still signaling optimism for the fall. In a Wednesday interview, A&M's head football coach Jimbo Fisher said he is anticipating crowds of fans at A&M's first game on Sept. 5.

“I am very encouraged because our governor has opened up outside sports to 50 percent now, I mean this early,” Fisher said. “I expect it’s going to be pretty close to normal.”

At Southern Methodist University, student athletes were required to sign a waiver absolving the university of any liability related to COVID-19 before they began workouts early this week. The waiver, as first reported by the Dallas Morning News, requires athletes to either agree to a list of terms or forgo returning to campus.

The waiver says the decision will not affect eligibility or scholarship status but student athletes may have to file a medical hardship waiver if they decline to return. Five SMU players tested positive earlier this week.

"Our intent in providing the document is to confirm that our student-athletes acknowledge that there is risk associated with co-existing with a pandemic, particularly since they will be operating under our protocols for only a short period of time each day during this voluntary summer workout period," SMU athletics director Rick Hart said in a statement released to NBC-DFW.

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