WVU Announces 19 New COVID-19 Cases on Football Team

This afternoon, the West Virginia athletic department announced its COVID-19 testing numbers. The release reported that since testing began in June, the department has administered 518 tests, with 41 total positive cases.

The positive totals are 28 on the football team, five in men’s basketball, six in women’s basketball, one in women’s soccer and one staff member.

The six men’s basketball cases and one staff member case had all been announced by July 5, with the six women’s basketball cases and one women’s soccer case reported by July 9. The number of cases on the football team, however, has ballooned since last being reported.

On July 9, the department announced three additional positive cases on the football team, bringing the total at the time to nine. Now one week later, the total has been reported as 28. That is a 19 case increase in a span of nine days.

The first positive case in WVU athletics was reported on the football team on June 15. A second case on the football team was announced on June 20. The first case on the men’s basketball team was announced on June 29. On July 5, it was announced that four more football players and five more men’s basketball student-athletes had tested positive. Men’s basketball workouts were also postponed for at least 14 days. July 9 was the most recent update before today, when three additional football players, one women’s soccer player and six women’s basketball players were all reported positive. Women’s basketball workouts were also postponed for at least 14 days.