How Many Positive COVID Tests Are Too Many For College Athletics?

Will college sports actually be able to function with the coronavirus still infecting athletes?

With college athletes starting to voluntarily return to campus, so comes athletes testing positive for COVID-19. SI Insider Pat Forde takes a look at how college administrators will handle the positive tests and if there will be a plan in place for too many positive tests.

Read the full video transcript:

Pat Forde: With college athletes returning to campus to begin voluntary workouts, so has come the COVID-19 testing and so have come the positive tests. We had a report yesterday that five Alabama athletes tested positive for the virus. There was seven at Arkansas State. Oklahoma State had some positive tests and so on, so forth. And this is probably going to be the case throughout the country as athletes come back from various locations and we find out who has the virus and who doesn't. Now, the question going forward is what is the infection rate from those players and how serious are the symptoms and the fallout from this? Are players getting seriously ill or is this something that's going to just kind of be a minor situation? Obviously, the players who do test will be quarantined and administered to, but the question will be, what's the threshold for administrators of how much is too much? Before we have to pause, take a step back, change our approach here. I think the belief is that obviously young athletes are not very susceptible to dangerous fallout from the disease. But as long as they are kept in a safe area, maybe they don't spread it to other people in the population who would be more susceptible. That includes coaches, weight staff, trainers who could be from older age groups and perhaps of a different level of physical fitness. So a lot for colleges to consider and to weigh as they try to figure out what's the best practice going forward with players returning the campus and starting test positive for the virus. 

For more of Pat Forde's Insiders, check out these links: 

• SI Insider: People Around the NCAA Are Making Their Voices Heard

• SI Insider: People Around the NCAA Speak Out After the Death of George Floyd

• SI Insider: Why Power 5 Conferences Won't Break Away From The NCAA