Vanderbilt Football, Hit with Second Wave of Positive Test Results

Another blow to head football coach Derek Mason and his team on Wednesday.

According to a report first published by the Vanderbilt University student newspaper, The Vanderbilt Hustler, a second wave of positive test results for COVID-19 has hit the Commodores football team, and also the soccer teams. 

Head football coach Derek Mason was scheduled to speak with media via a Zoom conference call on Wednesday morning, but that meeting was canceled by an email from the Commodores staff. 

While the reason for the cancelation is speculation, the same type of cancellation occurred when the Commodores underwent the first stoppage of practice after "several" players tested positive for the virus. 

The original stoppage followed positive test results on Aug.20. The following day, it was announced that all practices and team activities would be paused because of the positive tests. 

The team returned to practice on Aug.26, after missing five valuable days of practice time. 

There has been no official announcement from the university at this time. Still, another interruption is not a positive sign from Mason and his staff as they prepare for a tough ten-game SEC schedule beginning Sept. 26 in College Station, Texas. 

A Vanderbilt spokesperson provided the following statement to The Hustler at 11:33 a.m. CT regarding positive tests:

“We have been made aware of a small number of positive COVID-19 test results within our football and soccer programs. The results were determined through our ongoing testing procedures, which are among a number of prevention protocols we have in place to protect the health and safety of our student-athletes and our larger community."

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

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