COVID-19 cases at Wisconsin have caused the cancellation of Saturday’s Wisconsin-Nebraska game.
The Wisconsin football team put all team-related activities on pause and will take at least seven days off due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases within the program.
The decision to put football on hold and cancel Saturday’s game was made by athletic director Barry Alvarez and the school’s chancellor Rebecca Blank, in consultation with the Big Ten. The game will not be rescheduled.
“We have said from the beginning that the health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches and staff members comes first,” Alvarez said in a statement. “Over the past several days we have seen a rising number of student-athletes and staff contract the virus. The responsible thing for us to do is to pause football-related activities for at least seven days.”
As of Wednesday morning (Oct. 28), 12 people within the Wisconsin football program had tested positive for COVID-19 in the past five days, six student-athletes and six staff members, including head coach Paul Chryst. Additional test results are pending.
“This morning I received the news that I had tested positive via a PCR test I took yesterday,” Chryst said in a statement. “I informed my staff and the team this morning and am currently isolating at home. I had not been experiencing any symptoms and feel good as of this morning.
“I am disappointed for our players and coaching staff who put so much into preparing to play each week. But the safety of everyone in our program has to be our top priority and I support the decision made to pause our team activities.”
Wisconsin’s next game comes at home against Purdue on Nov. 7.
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