Kansas suspended its voluntary workouts for football on Friday after an increase of positive coronavirus tests within the program, the university said in a statement.
According to the Kansas athletics department, 162 student-athletes have been tested with 16 total positives, including 12 in football. There were positive test results in four other sports, and the school said 45 student-athletes in all sports are currently in quarantine.
"After the increase in positive COVID-19 tests within our football program, our medical team at Kansas Team Health has recommended discontinuing voluntary workouts immediately," Kansas athletics director Jeff Long said in a statement. "Our priority remains to keep our student-athletes safe and healthy, especially during this pandemic, and will follow the recommendations of our medical professionals."
Long said the workouts wouldn't resume until at least after the 14-day quarantine is completed and football players and staff are tested again. Kansas officials said sports with other student-athletes who returned to campus will continue their voluntary workouts.
"Due to the positives within our own program and the increased cases in our region including our student-athletes' home communities, we believe all football student-athletes and staff should self-quarantine for 14-days, per [Kansas Department of Health and Environment] requirements and CDC guidelines," Long said.
Kansas State and Houston also paused workouts because of positive tests for the coronavirus. Arizona also paused its plan to bring athletes back to campus Monday, citing a surge in COVID-19 cases in Pima County and the pandemic's impact on the local healthcare system.
"When we welcomed our young men back to campus a couple of weeks ago for voluntary workouts, even with the policies and procedures in place to try and protect them from becoming infected with the virus, events outside of our control has made the decision to pause these workouts necessary," Jayhawks coach Les Miles said in a statement. "Our trainers and doctors will remain in daily contact with each of the student-athletes that tested positive to support them and what we hope will involve only minor symptoms if any. We will follow medical recommendations on returning to activities."