FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Eight student athletes within Colorado State University’s football program tested positive for the novel coronavirus since the university paused all football team activities in late July.
Among all student athletes at CSU, only one other student tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the current count of infected student athletes to nine as of Monday, according to a news release from Colorado State Athletics.
CSU Athletics spokesperson Kyle Neaves said the athletics program, in partnership with UCHealth, conducted 150 COVID-19 tests on student athletes in the sports of football, volleyball, soccer and cross country on Aug. 3
After the outbreak was reported at CSU on July 21, all football team activities were paused while men’s and women’s basketball have continued to train.
To date, a total of 420 tests have been performed on student athletes, according to Neaves, who said additional student athletes are currently or have quarantined as a result of contact tracing per the determination of CSP Public Health.
Across Larimer County, 284 people between the ages of 15-24 have tested positive for the new respiratory disease, making up about 43% of total cases – the highest among age groups, per the county’s COVID-19 data.
No deaths have been reported by the county’s public health department among that age group.
The news from CSU Athletics came about an hour prior to an official announcement from the Mountain West Conference, which announced at around 4:30 p.m. it had canceled all scheduled fall sports and the Mountain West championship "in response to the ongoing challenges" that the coronavirus pandemic represents for student athletes hoping to play.
Official announcement from Mountain West. #Denver7 https://t.co/xkAvJVvfJE
— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) August 10, 2020
"This is certainly a disappointing development for our student-athletes, coaches, and staff who have devoted their full attention to get ready for a fall season," said CSU athletics director Joe Parker. "However, as the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has altered our landscape, we have always stressed that the health and safety of our student-athletes and community at large is the most important factor driving our decision-making processes.
"With the postponement of fall sports, we will devote our full attention to ensuring our student-athletes can have the most meaningful experience which they rightly deserve.”
The Air Force Academy Falcons in Colorado Springs and the Colorado State Rams in Fort Collins are part of the Mountain West Conference.
