Covid-19 and College Athletics

[sdsurulz08]

Just yesterday both Ohio St and U. North Carolina shut down voluntary workouts because they had a pile of positive tests. Ohio St wouldn't release the number but it was enough to stop all sports. UNC had 37 positive tests just on their football team. How is this going to get cleaned up in time to start real practices? If the season actually starts will all the teams be able to afford the non-stop testing?

Maybe they'll manage to somehow give it a try, but right now I've moved on from worrying about football to basketball.

Yeah, good points not looking good for sports this fall. Any testing results on SDSU student-athletes yet?

[Southeast]

Just yesterday both Ohio St and U. North Carolina shut down voluntary workouts because they had a pile of positive tests. Ohio St wouldn't release the number but it was enough to stop all sports. UNC had 37 positive tests just on their football team. How is this going to get cleaned up in time to start real practices? If the season actually starts will all the teams be able to afford the non-stop testing?

Maybe they'll manage to somehow give it a try, but right now I've moved on from worrying about football to basketball.

[Nidaros]

I am watching MSNBC this morning. The Dallas School Superintendant was on. Among other things asked was if Friday Night Football would occur. His reply, very short and to the point. No football this year because it’s a contact sport. I suspect colleges, including SDSU are looking at it from this angle. What if the Butler QB is asystematic and tested negative prior to the Sept 5th game but later tested positive and 20! Or so of our defense are hospitalized with the virus. Not good and if the crop insurance guy who sits next to me shows up at kickoff, full of tailgating and virus, then you won’t have to read my stupid posts as I will be reduced to ashes and resting in the West Sinai Cemetery. Calling off the entire season will not be a problem for me.

[NebraskaJack]

I was listening to sports talk radio in Omaha last week. Obviously there is some concern playing smaller Universities that aren't doing the testing. I am not sure how accurate this information is but they stated that the process of testing the Husker football team three times a week over the course of a season will cost UNL $250,000. They understood why smaller schools don't have that in their budget. Just found it interesting, explains why we wouldn't be doing testing if true.

[Nidaros]

You two need to take an epidemiology class. I truly enjoyed it. Its about the only math that made sense to me.

Such big words, its been many decades since I was in a college class.

Here is the definition:https://www.bing.com/search?q=epidem...c60ee20313098d

On second thought maybe not. So many courses that I had in the mid 1960 have branched off such as statistics which apparently this course is an example. I just hate the thought of going back to age 18 and starting over.

[goon]

Yes I think so. I had a hard time in statistics and was an econ major. Some of that theoretical stuff never made any sense to me. Your sampling in general would fit. As always there are exceptions. Don't ask me about the 95% confidence level. I am done here.

You two need to take an epidemiology class. I truly enjoyed it. Its about the only math that made sense to me.

[Nidaros]

it's only common sense.....you test 100 people you get 1 case....you test 1000 people you get 10 (or more)....10>1....science...the more testing, the greater the accuracy of the data.....right?

Yes I think so. I had a hard time in statistics and was an econ major. Some of that theoretical stuff never made any sense to me. Your sampling in general would fit. As always there are exceptions. Don't ask me about the 95% confidence level. I am done here.

[jakejc795]

it's only common sense.....you test 100 people you get 1 case....you test 1000 people you get 10 (or more)....10>1....science...the more testing, the greater the accuracy of the data.....right?

Depends on how you deploy the test and the characteristics of individuals sampled. For instance, you could oversample folks abiding by guidelines/less prone to engage in activities that'd have them risk exposure and capture test results that suggest reduced COVID prevalence when in reality the population truly has increased prevalence. Of course, converse could be true as well, which may be more likely in our case, if state limits sample to those exhibiting symptoms.

[jackdaniel]

it's only common sense.....you test 100 people you get 1 case....you test 1000 people you get 10 (or more)....10>1....science...the more testing, the greater the accuracy of the data.....right?

[jakejc795]

It seems to me that programs would want to test all of the players and staff when they come back to campus for a couple of reasons. First, so they know where they stand with the virus and can isolate any positives, and can start out with as clean of a slate as possible. And second as a courtesy to the communities where they reside, as the players are going to be circulating around their cities. Spending a few thousand $ should be worth the peace of mind of minimizing the possibility of having a hot spot on their hands a couple of weeks into practice.

I tend to agree; however, if access to testing at the municipal or county level is an issue, then I could see waiting to test until the season starts, because as we've discussed previously, if athletes and coaches are being tested without similar access to testing for faculty, staff, etc., it could be seen as reflecting poorly on SDSU Athletics' and Admin's priorities.

Reports have indicated the state will continue limiting testing to symptomatic individuals.

Plus, in the absence of any official word (at least that I've seen) on plans for football attendance, news of positive tests now could dampen both interest among fans in attending games and parents sending their kids to Brookings as students in the fall.

[Nidaros]

It seems to me that programs would want to test all of the players and staff when they come back to campus for a couple of reasons. First, so they know where they stand with the virus and can isolate any positives, and can start out with as clean of a slate as possible. And second as a courtesy to the communities where they reside, as the players are going to be circulating around their cities. Spending a few thousand $ should be worth the peace of mind of minimizing the possibility of having a hot spot on their hands a couple of weeks into practice.

Yes I would agree with all said. I disagree strongly with President Trump that more testing lead to more cases , but then I am not running for re-election. I think you can never overtest.

[bigticket1]

Update regarding Jacks' COVID testing regimen (apparently they aren't testing) and possibility that FBS schools may force FCS schools to test with cost deducted from guarantee payout.

It seems to me that programs would want to test all of the players and staff when they come back to campus for a couple of reasons. First, so they know where they stand with the virus and can isolate any positives, and can start out with as clean of a slate as possible. And second as a courtesy to the communities where they reside, as the players are going to be circulating around their cities. Spending a few thousand $ should be worth the peace of mind of minimizing the possibility of having a hot spot on their hands a couple of weeks into practice.

[jakejc795]

In the protocol the NBA is using to start their season, if a player tests positive he is quarantined and the rest of the team keeps playing. But they are going to test every player every day. And all the teams and their personnel are basically already quarantined at the Disney complex.

Update regarding Jacks' COVID testing regimen (apparently they aren't testing) and possibility that FBS schools may force FCS schools to test with cost deducted from guarantee payout.

[jakejc795]

If I was an administrator in charge of bringing 10,000 plus students back to campus in the current environment, I don't think I would be sleeping very well. It sounds like they are trying to keep students on campus more by eliminating the three day weekends, but I think we all know how well that's going to work. Having enough tests available to test everyone when they arrive on campus in August would help, but I doubt that they have that kind of volume available. And then bringing in another 10,000 bodies to campus on game days throws another whole level of risk into the mix.

I agree regarding the lack of sleep.

The logistics involved in testing, maintaining records, and tracking/tracing everyone would be staggering. Plus, there's the matter of determining frequency of subsequent testing and/or isolating classes if/when a student, or students, tests/test positive.

Ending on-campus instruction by Thanksgiving, as they are scheduled to now, seems wise

[bigticket1]

That's feasible for the NBA, but with universities one has to consider the optics and possible detrimental impact of testing athletes and staff, possibly using university funding, when faculty and students are unlikely to be afforded similar opportunities. The NBA faced controversy earlier in the year when they were testing players while there was a nationwide shortage of tests.

Then, as mentioned previously, you could have some schools/conferences testing more rigorously than others. Lastly, colleges and universities present other risks in the form of commuter students, faculty, and staff who may inadvertently transmit the virus, especially if they do not take steps to mitigate risks.

If I was an administrator in charge of bringing 10,000 plus students back to campus in the current environment, I don't think I would be sleeping very well. It sounds like they are trying to keep students on campus more by eliminating the three day weekends, but I think we all know how well that's going to work. Having enough tests available to test everyone when they arrive on campus in August would help, but I doubt that they have that kind of volume available. And then bringing in another 10,000 bodies to campus on game days throws another whole level of risk into the mix.