Three WVU Football, Six WBB Players Test Positive for COVID-19; WBB Workouts Postponed

The West Virginia athletic department announced on Thursday that three more WVU football student-athletes have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of positive cases in the WVU football program up to nine.

On Sunday, the department announced that four student-athletes had tested positive. WVU announced single positive cases on both June 15 and June 20, previously.

In the release, WVU also announced the postponement of women’s basketball workouts as six women’s basketball student-athletes have also tested positive. The Big 12 conference had allowed teams to begin basketball workouts on July 6, but WVU had not yet started its summer prep, according to the release.

A total of six student-athletes and one staff member on WVU’s men’s basketball team have also tested positive for COVID-19. Men’s basketball workouts have also been postponed for 14 days.

“As with our men’s basketball team, the safest thing to do is put a pause on our women’s basketball workouts,” athletic director Shane Lyons said in the release. “The recent testing numbers, before their workouts even begin, show it’s not in the best interest of the student-athletes. Our medical officials will closely monitor the team in the coming days with a goal of starting its summer prep on July 20.”

On a call with reporters on June 24, WVU football head coach Neal Brown said that the team was practicing strict precautionary measures and would continue to do so as long as necessary.