The football game scheduled for Oct. 17 between the University of Florida Gators and Louisiana State University Tigers has been postponed due to positive covid-19 tests and the quarantine of Florida players, the Southeastern Conference announced Wednesday on Twitter.
Nineteen players tested positive on Tuesday, ABCNewsWCJB in Gainesville reported. ESPN reported 19 positive test results among scholarship players and three among walk-ons, according to athletic director Scott Stricklin.
The game is tentatively rescheduled for Dec. 12. Next week’s game against Missouri could be in jeopardy.
The players and staff members who tested positive are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, athletic director Scott Stricklin said. Together with non-covid-related injured players, Florida had less than 50 scholarship players available. At least 53 scholarship players must be available to play a game, according to SEC rules.
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The SEC requires two consecutive negative tests to officially declare a result as a false positive. Teams are required to test three times a week, but Florida has been testing daily testing since the outbreak started, according to ABC.
Florida shut down its football program on Tuesday after the tests came back positive, ESPN reported.
The trip to play Texas A&M in College Station, Texas last weekend is suspected of being at the root of the outbreak, Stricklin said.
This generated a lot of interest on Twitter.
“Probably because texas a&m allowed 60,000 maskless fans in damm game with no repercussion,” Blake Denney tweeted.
“But Texas A&M is not having that issue. Y’all are? How does that happen” @Brandon_Cocky responded.
Read more: 10 Professional Athletes Confirmed To Have Covid-19
