Coronavirus: Rutgers football team quarantined after positive cases revealed

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Rutgers University halted its voluntary football workouts due to six recent positive cases of the coronavirus, NJ.com reported Saturday.

The New Jersey school becomes the second Big Ten program to quarantine its players and staff this week. On Friday, Michigan State University sent its football program into quarantine or isolation. Rutgers joins Michigan State, Ohio State, Maryland and Indiana as Big Ten programs that have halted workouts because of positive COVID-19 tests, NJ.com reported.

The most recent round of positive results came from the team’s weekly testing cycle, a Rutgers spokesperson told WNBC. Four team members of the team had tested positive, bringing to the total to at least 10, the television station reported.

Since returning to campus on June 15, Rutgers football has experienced four positive tests for COVID-19,” Rutgers said in a statement. “Today, we learned of six additional positive COVID-19 results in our latest weekly testing cycle. As a result, we have paused all in-person team activities, quarantined our entire program and will work diligently with Rutgers medical experts, and state and local officials to determine next steps.”

The Big Ten announced two weeks ago plans to play conference-only schedules in football and its other fall sports.

Cox Media Group